Hope
by evil.mastermind no.1
Summary: The life of a ninja is filled with death, horror, pain, hatred, loneliness, rejection and blood. It is a hellish nightmare and no one knows this better than them. But at the darkest moments in their life, she appears. The humans call her Hope. (This story includes every character that was ever caught in despair.)
1. Kakuzu - Failed mission

**Welcome to my newest story! It snuck up in my mind while studying and I couldn't continue until writing it down! I just can't stop my brain to come up with new ideas…**

**Anyhow, this won't exactly be a story but a lot of short stories that appear completely randomly.**

**English isn't my first language so please bear the mistakes. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and never will.**

**Chapter 1: Kakuzu - Failed mission**

_They'll try to take your pride  
Try to take your soul  
They'll try to take all the control  
They'll look you in the eyes  
Fill you full of lies (Unbreakable Heart – Three Days Grace) _

He stumbled. He barely could keep himself from falling right into the mud. Instead he continued to limp forward, inch by inch, without stopping.

He had to make it to the village. It wasn't that far away anymore, he could already hear the water of the waterfall but it felt like he'd never make it that far.

Behind him a trail of blood marked his way, impossible to oversee. He clutched the bleeding gasp in his stomach; the warm red blood covered his trembling hand. His other arm hung uselessly at his side, broken. Blood dripped into his eyes. His head felt dizzy. He dragged his tired body over the earth, his breath becoming shallower with every heavy step he took.

He didn't see the root in time; stumbled; fell. He wanted to stand up but his body refused. Somewhere in his fuzzy mind he just wanted to rest there on the ground, lose consciousness and die. Maybe that would be better. After all, a part of him feared coming back to the village. He had failed the mission. He, the prodigy, the best ninja, the one who survived every battle, the strong hero, had lost and been beaten up to a bloody pulp. He was lucky to have survived. Well, until now. That was the end of his road.

He closed his eyes. His heart flattered, clutching to the last ounces of life.

"You don't look good" a high voice suddenly called out. With all of the strength he still had left he lifted his head and stared up. There in front of him stood a little girl and looked down at him with concern. He could only see her blurry outlines as his vision started to blur.

"Wait, I'll help you." She crouched down to his miserable form, one of her little arms outstretched. She touched his shoulder but instead of feeling flesh all he could feel was warmth and energy that flooded into his body. It made his slow heart start to beat once again, stopped the blood loss and gave him the strength to rise up from the ground.

"There, better" she said and smirked widely at him. Wiping the blood out of his eyes with his shoulder he stared down at her little form. She had blonde, almost golden, hair that reached down to her knees, her big eyes were bright blue, she was maybe seven years old, and was dressed in a white dress.

For a moment he just stared at her dumbfounded. She looked too innocent to be from this world. Maybe she was an angel and he _was_ about to die. She probably came here to take him.

"You're heading for this village, right?" she asked and pointed over his shoulder to the direction of Takigakure. He just nodded.

"Then let's go!" Enthusiastically she pumped her small fist into the air, grabbed his blood covered hand and dragged him to his destiny.

He still was too taken back by her sudden strange appearance to say anything and so he just let her do. Along the way she jumped up and down, humming happily. If she was an angel she was an annoying one that was for sure, he thought grimly but also amused.

He soon found out that whatever kind of energy she had given him, it wasn't forever. He once again felt the strength being sucked away from his shaking legs and blood pouring out of the wounds. He wanted to apply pressure on the most severe one on his stomach but the little brat wouldn't let go of his hand.

Finally they stood in front of the giant waterfall marking the village that just had been founded and soon the giant tree came into vision. He had made it.

They just had crossed the outlines of the village as he finally passed out from blood loss and fell to the earth like a cut tree.

The last thing he heard was the panic voice of the angel crying his name. His mind was too foggy to wonder how she knew it.

* * *

When he woke up he carefully opened his eyes just to be blinded by bright light. Was this it after all? Was he finally dead?

"You're awake!" the happy voice of the girl yelled, making his ears ring. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the light and he could see that he was in Takigakure's hospital. Looking down he saw that he was covered in bandages making him look like a mummy. Titling his aching head to the side he saw the girl sitting on a chair, dangling her feet back and forth while grinning like an idiot. He couldn't help but smirk making her giggle. Whether she was an angel or not she saved his life. But before he could thank her, the door opened and a young nurse entered. When she saw him awake, her eyes widened and she rushed to his side.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly and concerned.

"Like shit" he growled but then grinned, "but alive."

"That's good to hear. Your recovery progress is unexceptionally quickly so you'll be able to leave your bed in a few days" she informed him smiling. He glanced at the girl and was sure that she had something to do with his rapid healing. She just winked at him.

However, they didn't give him time to recover as after about an hour, two shinobi rushed into the room.

"The elders demand your presence" was all they said. Despite the nurse's protest he obliged and shakily stood up. The girl followed them quietly outside to the biggest house in the village, the one where the elders stayed.

He hadn't noticed it before but the girl's footsteps were so silent and light that he couldn't hear them at all. He also didn't feel her chakra signature, just this warm energy radiating of her being. Also he slightly wondered why neither of the shinobi or the nurse had mentioned her presence. Maybe she was invisible to them. Maybe she was his own guardian angel. This thought almost made him laugh in amusement.

The two elders already awaited him, standing tall and proud while he kneeled down in front of them. The shinobi stepped back into the shadows. Once again no one questioned the girl's presence.

"Kakuzu, how are you feeling?" the old man on the right asked but his voice wasn't concerned at all.

"I am feeling much better, thank you."

"We are glad to hear that" the woman continued but he sensed her lying. "You were on the brick of death and it wasn't sure if you'd survive."

"So tell us… the mission… was it a success?"

He bit his lip, his eyes narrowing on the floor, not daring to look at his superiors while shame rose inside of him.

"No" he finally whispered out. "I am sorry but I lost. The Hokage was too strong." Heavy silence followed. He could feel their cold judging gazes piercing through him, making him shift uncomfortably.

"Unforgiveable!" the man hissed.

"We put our hope in you Kakuzu and this is how you repay us? In failing the most important mission you ever had?"

"You survived the battle but if you had lost you would have died on the battlefield like a true shinobi! You ran away!"

"For this disloyalty you will be punished!"

His head shot up. "But I carried out the mission!" he protested loudly. "I fought the first Hokage but couldn't win against his wood release. I came back here to tell you about the fight so that we can develop a strategy to win the next time!"

"There won't be a next time" the man growled. He looked down at Kakuzu with detest like he'd stare at an ugly insect. "Because of your failure Hashirama Senju is now warned."

"Yes you failed Kakuzu and put disgrace upon Takigakure. You will face the consequences of your betrayal." With that the shinobi who had waited in the shadows rushed forward and pinned him to the ground, chaining his hands behind his back and putting a sack over his face. He struggled but was still too weak to put up a fight.

"What are you doing?!" he heard the girl yell. "He did what you ordered him to do and risked his freaking life for your fucking mission you old geezer! He did everything to come back here alive! You should bow down to him instead of treating him like this you ungrateful snobs!"

He was surprised by her outburst. So his guardian angel could curse he thought amused and then something hit the back of his head.

* * *

They put him into a dirty cell in the dungeon. Ripped him off his clothes and chained him to the wall. Tortured him. Starved him. Denied him his sleep. Broke his body again and again and again. Took away his pride.

The only thing keeping him alive was this warm energy coming from the girl every time she touched him. She never let him alone but was always standing right next to his side, looking at him desperately and sadly, whimpering and flinching with every new wound he received. She didn't seem to have a physical body and so couldn't help him out of there.

In the end they threw him into the darkest pit they had to offer and left him there to rot. There was only darkness surrounding him. Pitch-black thick darkness.

Why? No matter what he did he couldn't stop the questions from circling through his head. What had he done wrong? How did he, a proud shinobi, end up here? Forgotten? He was going to die here and no one would care. After everything he'd risk for the sake of this village, for the elders… He had crawled back to this village and this is how they repaid him.

Anger rose inside of him. These damn bastards… They probably had sent him to this mission to get rid of him. And when this hadn't worked they had thrown him into their own dungeon, left to croak.

He growled.

He would show them… He would show them that he wouldn't bite the dust that easily. He would make them pay.

"Girl, give me as much of that energy as you can" he growled. He knew she was there even though he could neither see nor sense her.

"What are you going to do?" she timidly asked. Her voice came directly from behind him. He glared into the darkness.

"I'll rip them apart." His voice was thick with hatred and anger. He could feel her hesitate. "Just do it, brat!" he snapped.

She didn't say anything but a moment later he felt the warm feeling engulfing him. It wasn't exactly chakra but something way more powerful that made his own chakra rise drastically while in the same time had a healing effect.

The warmth left as abruptly as it had come. She still didn't say anything. He could feel her big sad eyes look on him but currently didn't give a fuck about it. She wasn't the one who had to endure the torture, humiliation and pain after spending all of her life as a loyal shinobi doing everything to serve that hypocritical village.

He stood up and flexed his muscles. Carefully he stepped forward until he touched the wall. Collecting chakra in his hand he broke it down.

He was pissed. He was angry. He was ready to kill every person that crossed his way. He wanted to destroy the village's pride like it had destroyed his.

This time the girl didn't follow him. He didn't turn around but left her alone in the darkness of the cell. He didn't need her anymore.

* * *

**What do you think about it? Do you want to read more or are you bored already? Is there any particular person that should appear next? Please tell me! I'm always open for criticism as long as it's not mean.**


	2. Madara - Sulking

**Thanks to Inanari for the review! At her request here come's a chapter about Madara Uchiha. Hope you enjoy!**

**Madara – Sulking**

_A fire needs a space to burn  
A breath to build a glow  
I've heard it said a thousand times  
But now I know  
That you don't know what you've got  
Oh you don't know what you've got  
No you don't know what you've got  
Until it's gone (Until it's Gone – Linkin Park)_

He looked down at his shaking hands that clutched the bottle of sake. He felt miserable and just wanted to burst out in tears. It's been half an hour since Izuna had died. His little brother, the one he had sworn to protect no matter what. He died in front of his eyes and all he could do was watch. He had been there with him on the battlefield but couldn't prevent Tobirama to wound his brother fatally. If he just would have killed them all earlier, if he just would have told Izuna to stay behind!

He had thought, believed, that his brother wouldn't die that quickly, had thought that these stupid Senju could never hurt him, a true Uchiha warrior.

Especially he should have known better. He felt so stupid and naïve. If a soldier dies, it happens quickly and without giving anyone the chance to save him. Damn he had grown up in a war and yet it seemed like he had learned nothing.

He took another large gulp of alcohol. His head felt already dizzy but he didn't care. He wanted to drown himself in alcohol, wanted to forget the weak body of his beloved little brother in his arms bleeding to death, wanted to forget him offering Madara his eyes with a final smile, wanted to forget all the blood that had clung to his clothes and skin after he had left the temporary medical tent.

He stared at his still trembling hands. They were weirdly red. After all he had scrubbed them again and again to get them rid of his brother's blood. In the end he had thrown the soap away and had demolished the wash tank. He didn't care that anybody looked at him and questioned his sanity. He didn't care if they started talking about having an emotional wreck as their leader. He didn't care that they thought that his brother was killed by a Senju-weakling…

"Fucking damn!" he yelled, grabbed the almost empty bottle and threw it through the tent. It ripped a hole in the tent line and shattered somewhere outside.

He could feel tears dwelling up. No, he wouldn't cry. He was a fucking Uchiha after all! He was the leader of the most powerful clan. He couldn't show any weakness.

"Man you look pathetic." His head shot up. In front of the hole in the tent a little blond haired girl stood wearing a white dress. She tried to look serious but her lips twitched and amusement flickered in her blue eyes.

He growled. "Get out of my tent, now!"

"You know, it won't help anybody if you continue sulking." She stayed with her naked feet firmly plastered on the earth.

"I am not sulking." He narrowed his eyes that automatically had switched to Sharingan the moment he had heard her voice. Not the normal Sharingan though but the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, activated with the help of his brother's gift.

Without a word he grabbed another sake bottle from his stock, opened it and drank one third of it with the first gulp.

"You surely are sulking." His eye twitched and he looked at the brat over the sake bottle.

"I am not" he growled.

She titled her head to the side. "Yes you are."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No and why am I even talking to you?! Who are you anyway?" He never had seen her before. She clearly wasn't an Uchiha with her blonde hair. His body stiffened. Was she a Senju? Was she sent here as a spy? No, the Senju had better spies than that.

She shifted with her feet uncomfortably. "I don't really have a name…"

"Then what are you doing here?" he continued asking in irritation and annoyance. He just wanted to be alone and drown his sorrow in sake.

"I'm here because you reached out to me." He blinked.

"What…?"

She nodded. "When humans get drown into darkness and despair, they reach out for help and support. I somehow feel their need and appear at their side to help them, to give them hope. And to make them stop sulking."

"For the last time I AM NOT SULKING!" he yelled and before he could stop himself threw a kunai at her. Normally he wasn't violent against children or women – unless of course they were Senju – but that girl just ticked him off.

The kunai however slid through her body without drawing blood. As if it didn't even hit bone or flesh it swished through her, ripped another hole in his tent and followed the sake bottle outside.

He stared at her. She stared back. Then she suddenly burst out in tears.

"You meanie! Why did you do this?! I came all the way here to help you and you threw that sharp thing at me?! It could have hurt me! I have feelings too and you just stomp on them! Meanie! Asshole! Sulking dumbass!"

"What the hell are you?" he mumbled.

"Like you care!" she shrieked and continued her wailing and crying. He groaned and just wanted to bang his head against the table and threw that little bitch out. But apparently she wasn't even here physically. She probably just was an imagination of his alcohol clouded mind, nothing else. He stared down at his hands still holding the bottle. They weren't shaking anymore. And then he realized that this little girl had shifted his thoughts and attention away from his brother's death. But he didn't want that. He wanted to grieve over his little brother, he wanted to imagine how he'd pay these Senju back for this, how he-

"Is that your armor? Woooow…" His head snapped up.

The girl had stopped making a scene and was now bending over his red armor which he had thrown to the ground earlier when he had rushed into the tent. Her eyes were sparkling and she reached her hand out.

"Don't touch it!" he growled. She ignored him and touched it.

"You must look funny with it." Suddenly she started giggling. She did it again. She drew his attention away and stopped these dark thoughts circling through his head.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" he asked annoyed. He didn't want her here. The girl gazed at him over her shoulder.

"But I'm not really the one who decides this." He just raised an eyebrow at that. "You reached out for me, called me. And you decide when you don't need me anymore. Then I leave." She turned back around and started poking his armor.

He really wanted to snap her neck.

"I don't need you anymore. Now go away" he grumbled waving with his hand dismissively. Not like she cared. She stayed.

"I leave when you stop sulking." She grinned slyly. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Stared back down on the sake bottle… Maybe he could drown her with more sake.

Grabbing the bottle he put it back down to where the other bottles were which he had intended to drink. If he was already seeing some hallucinations then he clearly had had enough. He couldn't afford to get tipsy. He was a leader after all and he had a clan to lead to victory. This time he wouldn't fail. He would show these Senju who the superior clan was.

Abruptly he stood up, stepped to the girl and took the armor.

"What are you doing?" she asked while he grabbed his weapons.

"Preparing for a fight" he growled and then walked with confident steps to the tent door. However, before he left he said without turning around: "I pray I won't see you anymore… Hope." And then he was gone.

The girl stayed there for a moment longer, pondering over the name he just had given her. "Hope…" she said slowly and then smiled. "I like that!"

* * *

**I know Madara is a freaking badass but he is still human and just lost his dear little brother. I think that even he would break down in such a moment. **

**Who should I do next? Please review!**


	3. Gaara - Village guidance

**Thanks to Inanari for the review! I know you wanted to see Pain, but I had to write down Gaara first. I promise Nagato will come next!**

**Gaara – Village guidance**

_A single moment of love is equal to the whole universe of love _

"It's the demon!"

"Get away you monster!"

"Don't touch me freak!"

"Run!"

"Fast before he kills all of us!"

Screaming and yelling the kids ran away as soon as they spotted him. He only looked after them with blue sad eyes, clutching the fluffy teddy in his hands. He just wanted to participate in their game, he wanted to play with the other children, wanted to laugh and to have fun too. But every time they ran away and called him things like monster or demon. He didn't even know why!

The red ball the children had played with earlier lay forgotten on the ground. The boy just had dropped it and then had fled. Like all the others did.

Maybe… maybe he should bring them the ball back, he thought. Then they could see that he just wanted to play and not to harm them. Then they could see that he actually was quite nice.

His eyes lit up and he made a step toward the forgotten ball.

Just then someone appeared in his line of vision. A little girl stood over the ball and bent down to pick it up.

Sadly he halted in his steps. She was older than him, maybe seven years old, had golden hair and wore a white dress. He could see right away that she wasn't from this village.

His eyes widened as her fingers that reached out for the ball just slipped through the material without even touching it. He heard her growl as she again and again tried to grasp the object but failed every time.

Titling his head to the side he watched and observed her, completely still, like a shadow even though he was totally visible in the afternoon sun.

With a huff the girl finally gave up and stood up straight. Their eyes met. He winced; excepting her to run away screaming like everyone else always did now that she noticed his presence. But instead the girl suddenly started laughing and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"That probably just looked… funny I mean how I tried to pick up the ball and failed… Sometimes I really hate this form" she grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a pouting manner. She surely switched moods quickly, he thought slightly amused. He didn't say anything though, just watched her closely as she shifted uncomfortable with her feet.

"You live here, right?" Unsure, he nodded with wary eyes.

"You know I'm new here and completely lost. Would you mind… showing me the village?"

With opened mouth he just stared at her. Did she really just ask _him_ to guide her around?! Well she was new so she probably hadn't heard the stories about him yet. The stories that he was a demon, that he was a bloodthirsty monster, that he killed everyone in sight … Well okay he had killed and hurt some people already, but he never had wanted it! It was the sand, it always moved on its own and he couldn't stop it!

"Uhm if you're busy and don't want to guide me around than it is fine I guess…" She turned around with disappointed eyes.

"No wait!" he yelled and stumbled forward. He probably shouldn't do it. She'd find out about what people were talking anyway and then she surely wouldn't want to spend her time with him anymore. Then she'd run away just like all the others did.

But… he didn't want to be alone anymore.

The girl turned around and gave him one of the brightest smiles he'd ever seen. She surely was beautiful.

"Awesome, then let's go!" She grabbed his hand. He could feel her touch though it wasn't flesh. It was more like a warm comforting energy that slightly tickled and prickled against his flesh, pulling him along. He wanted to ask her about it and also why she couldn't pick up the ball but he kept his mouth shut, afraid that he'd anger her and make her run away.

Even though he was supposed to lead them, she just dragged him with her through the sandy streets. Sometimes she stopped in front of big buildings, stared at them with awe and asked him random questions like: _"How are you able to build houses of sands?" "That looks fancy, who's living in there?" "Don't you have any plants or trees here?" "Where does the water come from?" "Do you like living here?"_

He tried to answer all of them the best he could while he couldn't keep himself from staring at her, afraid that she'd disappear the moment he'd avert his eyes. He had always wanted this to happen, to stroll through the streets with someone who treated him like he would be a normal kid. Now he was just so afraid that it all turned into a dream. That in any second it would burst like a bubble.

They arrived at the main street with all the shops, hotels and restaurants.

No… he thought in horror and stopped dead in his tracks. They couldn't go there. People were in this street. They'd start talking, stare at him afraid and hatefully, run. She would hear them talk and start running too.

The girl turned around and looked at him confused. "What's the matter?"

He opened his mouth but no words came out. He didn't know what to say. How could he explain this? His mouth was dry like sand. How ironic…

"Come!" and with that she dragged him into the open. His heart sped up. Painfully it beat against his ribcage. Panic dwelled up inside of him. He clutched his teddy harder.

"Wow! Look at all the shops! Amazing! Who would have thought one could find this in the middle of the desert?!"

"It's that kid…"

"The demon is here, quick, get the children away!"

"We better leave before he kills all of us!"

"Get out of our sight, monster!"

He winced with each mean word they tossed at him. Keeping his head low and trying not to cry he walked through the street. He could feel the girl's stare on him. At any moment she'd let go of his hand and run away. She'd join the others and toss insults at him.

"You know… this village must look beautiful from above, especially by sunset. Do you know a good place from where we can watch it?"

Confused he looked up. She had turned around and smiled at him. She smiled! She didn't look afraid of him one bit. Her eyes were bright, not filled with fear and hatred. And she was still holding his hand.

His heart did a beat. She was different than the others, he could tell. But why? Why would she…?

"Come on, we don't want to miss the sunset, right?" Laughing she turned around again and guided him through the street. He didn't hear the people anymore. All he heard was her honest, happy and carefree laugh. It touched something, something deep inside of him. It made his painful heart melt.

_"__What are more serious are emotional scars. They are the hardest to heal… This cure can only be given by people other than yourself… It's Love!" _

He now knew what his uncle had meant. He smiled.

* * *

**I love Gaara and every time he appears as a child, I just want to hug him.  
**

**Please review!**


	4. Nagato - By your side

**Thanks to **Inanari** for the review! Like promised here comes Nagato. Hope you like it!**

**Nagato – By your side**

_It starts with pain,_

_Followed by hate,_

_Fueled by the endless questions_

_No one can answer (World So Cold – 12 Stones)_

He was frightened, scared, horrified. His heart thundered in his ears.

Sitting in the corner of the room he was pressed in between the warm bodies of his parents who sat right next to his side.

It was dark, so dark, except for the flashing of lighting shining through the windows. He heard the heavy footsteps of the intruders walking from one room to the next, illuminating the light in the kitchen, searching through the whole house. Any moment now they'd come in here and find them. He knew that his parents were as scared as him. His mother had gripped his hand tightly, almost breaking it, but he didn't mind and just squeezed her hand back.

"Don't worry I'm here" suddenly a soft voice whispered. He winced and gazed into the dark. He could make out a figure crouched down right in front of him. It wasn't one of the intruders, they were grown men and the figure was smaller as well as a girl. Weirdly he could see her outline shining in the dark with a soft light.

Suddenly he felt her grip his hand, no flesh but warmth that was sucked up from his body, calming his nerves, making his breath once again even.

His father mentioned for them to stand up and to move forward. They had to sneak out of the house before the men would find them.

Slowly and as quietly as they could they stood up. They moved forward, step by step. Along the wall, crossing the cabinet.

"Careful!" the girl suddenly called out but it was too late. He didn't even notice him touching the vase until it was too late. Horrified he could only watch as it slowly, like in slow motion, fell forward. The girl jumped, wanting to catch the vase but the object just slipped through her fingers.

With a loud crash the vase hit the ground, shattering in a hundred of pieces.

Everything froze. He held his breath. The time stood still. His heart stopped before it beat quicker and louder than before. His mother almost broke his fingers; she gripped it that hard but he didn't even notice. Then they were in the room. The strangers found them. Their escape route was cut. They'd be killed.

"Nagato, run!" his father suddenly yelled and leaped forward, attacking one of the intruders. His mother gave his hand one final squeeze before she tried to hold off the other one. He couldn't move, couldn't lift his feet from off the floor.

"Come" the girl called out desperately and he felt her tug at his hand. His legs were shaking. They couldn't carry his weight anymore and he slumped down on the ground. Terrified he watched as the strangers pulled out weapons. The blades glistered in the light of a flash. With a thud the bodies of his parents fell to the ground. A sea of blood quickly emerged from under his father. The red hair of his mother was sprawled out in a puddle of blood. Her lifeless eyes stared at him.

The intruders stepped forward.

They said something but he didn't hear them anymore. Tears fell down, he shook in horror, his mind went blank, his mouth opened to a silent scream. A light flashed outside and his eyes were glued on the symbol on the metal plate around their heads. He would never forget it.

One of the men made a step forward. And then something in his mind snapped. Everything went blank. All that remained was this terrifying horror and deep pitch-black darkness.

He screamed, screamed all of his pain out. Suddenly he was filled with a foreign power; it consumed him, gave him strength, and fueled his rage like wind strengthens a fire.

The flow stopped as sudden as it had started. All that was left was emptiness. His vision was blurry. He knew that they would kill him now. This was the end.

He was shaking, tears streamed down his face. He was scared, so scared. As his vision became clearer, the first thing he saw was the girl who looked at him sadly and hurt. However he couldn't see the men standing in front of him anymore. His gaze shifted to the floor. At the sight of his parents a chocked cry escaped his lips but the thing that shocked him more were the ripped apart bodies of the attackers.

They were destroyed beyond recognition but he knew it was them. Absently he noticed that the walls had also crumbled down like if being hit by a shockwave. He somewhat knew that this was his doing, that it happened with this sudden burst of power he had felt.

He did this. A sickening feeling emerged from his stomach. He turned just in time to empty his stomach on the ground. Cold sweat covered his skin. His shaking hands couldn't prop his body up anymore and he fell to the side. The last thing he heard was the girl calling his mane and through his fading vision he saw her rushing to his side. Then there was only darkness.

* * *

"Nagato! Nagato!" From far away he heard a strange voice calling his name. He wanted to know what it wanted from him but he had a lump in his throat.

"Wake up!" Slowly he broke free from the darkness of unconsciousness. He blinked his eyes open and saw the concerned face of the little girl bending above him. As she saw that he was back her face lit up and she smiled in relief.

"Are you okay?" He nodded numbly although he was anything but okay.

With a hoarse voice he asked: "W-What happened?"

"I don't know… You suddenly had this ridiculous high amount of chakra and set it free. It was like a giant shockwave…" He fought his way back to stand up and looked around the mess he had made. The house was destroyed. The walls were mostly blown apart and there was a hole in the roof. His parents still lay on the ground motionless.

"I… I have to bury them" he mumbled. The thought had come from nowhere. It was somehow a final statement that they really were dead.

He felt the warm touch of the girl as she grabbed his hand.

"I will stay with you." He nodded and was for a reason really glad that she was there.

The whole time while he dug the two holes she stayed by his side. They didn't speak a word but that wasn't necessary. When the graves were dug he put the bodies of his beloved parents in there.

"Goodbye" he whispered and started to cover the lifeless cold corpses with earth. He felt like crying but there was not a single tear left anymore.

When he was finished he crouched down in front of the graves, staring at them without seeing them. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why did they kill them? What have my parents ever done to be murdered by strange men?" She was sitting right next to him, their bodies almost touched.

She hesitated before she answered: "I think they were surprised to find someone living here. They said completely shocked that your parents were only civilians. I guess they expected enemies and reacted on instinct." He went silent after that. His mind was completely blank but he knew that this wasn't fair. His parents never have done anything wrong. They had tried to live on despite of the constant wars being waged in their country.

"What should I do know?" He didn't have anything anymore. No parents, no home, no one to turn to. He was only a child in a war struck country.

"The world is big and holds a lot of opportunities." She smiled at him. "What do you think about discovering the world?"

He turned his head to look at her. "Will you stay with me?" She gripped his hand, giving him again this warm and comforting feeling.

"I will stay with you as long as you want." He smiled. It was a slightly sad exhausted smile; with the trails of dried tears still on his cheeks but it was the first attempt of a smile since the men had entered their house.

"Thank you." They stood up and faced the road that went up a mountain. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Hope" she answered with a bright smile.

"It fits you" he said quietly ad she giggled. Red painted her cheeks.

"You're sweet." And then they made their first step; the first step toward an unknown future, toward a new adventure, a new part of his life. And with this step he left everything else behind: The destroyed house, the corpses of the men, his parent's graves, the sadness, and the tears. He left it all behind and faced the new part of his life with a smile and Hope by his side.

* * *

**That was one sad chapter...**

**I'll update the next chapter in the next few days as I almost have it done. Please review!  
**


	5. Kisame - Question and answer game

**Thanks to goldenlucario1 ****for the review.**

**Kisame – Question and answer game**

_Ich bin nicht hässlich, ich seh nur anders aus als du - I'm not ugly, I just look different than you do_ _(Rebell – Die Ärzte)_

He just had successfully finished a mission and was now walking back into Kirigakure. For once the mission had gone smoothly, they hadn't been ambushed once. He didn't have to kill his comrades.

He was tired and just wanted to fall asleep. No, drink a bottle of sake, take a shower and then fall asleep.

He felt their constant stares on him while walking through the streets. People quickly got out of his way. Children were hushed inside the houses. They stuck their heads together and started whispering.

By now he was used to it although it still unnerved him. After all he was a shinobi of the Hidden Mist too, like the rest of the ninjas. They were treated like heroes every time they returned home; home to their waiting families, friends and lovers. He was treated like a beast, a brute that would eat their children when they weren't looking, a disease they could catch if staying too close to him.

"Hello mister!" It took him a moment until he realized that this high voice was talking to him. Irritated he looked down to find a girl smiling up at him. She was small like a fly and looked at him with big blue eyes. He frowned.

"What do you want?" he growled. People didn't talk to him, especially children.

"You're a ninja, right?"

"What about it?" He almost had reached his _home_. He stayed in a tiny apartment above a bar. In the evening he would usually drink until he was the complete opposite of sober, then stumble up the stairs and wake up with a hangover the next morning. The owner running the house just let him live there because he paid well.

"You're really big and muscular mister. You must be strong" she said with something like awe in her voice. He didn't reply but just eyed her suspiciously. Usually people pointed out his blue skin tone first. Or his gills. Or his sharp teeth. Well, everything but his muscles and high.

"Well and you're all thin and tiny" he replied a little sharper than he had meant to. She pouted.

"I'm still growing!" she tried to defend herself.

"Whatever, what do you want?" he replied his question. She just shrugged.

"I want to accompany you. Where are you going to?"

He sighed. "Listen kid, you better should go back home to your parents."

"I don't have parents." She didn't say it sadly, just as a matter-of-factly. "Do you have parents?"

He sighed once more. "I don't." He stopped in front of the bar. His blue hand about to push the door open he glanced at the girl who stared up at him with expecting eyes.

"I'm going to go in there and drink some alcohol. You go home, understood?" She titled her head cutely to the side.

"Why?"

He groaned. "This place is nothing for little kids. Now hush!"

"I won't leave you." She looked at him with stubborn determination. He really just wanted something to drink.

"Fine, do whatever you want" he grumbled and entered the dim lit bar. The bartender just nodded at him as he sat down on one of the bar stools. The girl scrambled up on the one beside him, failing twice and falling back down on the ground with a curse. He just raised an eyebrow but couldn't keep the amused grin from appearing on his lips.

When the girl finally managed to climb up and poke her nose over the bar, staring at all the liquor bottles, he already wanted to explain to the bartender why he had brought a minor with him but the bartender didn't even seem to notice her at all.

"They can't see me" she explained as if she had read his mind. "I'm invisible to everyone but you."

Great… now he had his own little hallucination before he even had started drinking!

"A bottle of sake" he ordered with a sigh. The bartender nodded and put the bottle down in front of him. He gripped it and just wanted to take a gulp when he felt the stare of the girl on him.

Growling he gazed at her. "What?"

"I really would love to try this sake once… A lot of humans who I encounter drink this." He raised an eyebrow and held it in front of her. He didn't care if she was minor or not.

"Drink then" he offered but she shook her head, making her blonde hair fly around her head.

"I can't" she whined and sunk down miserably on her stool. "I can't grip anything with this form. I'm kind of like a ghost. The only thing I can do is watch and talk to special people but can't change anything! This really sucks sometimes."

"So you think I am special, huh?" he asked her with a grin and gulped down some of his deserved sake.

Angrily she looked at him. "That's all that stuck in your head?!" He just shrugged and looked away from the girl and forward.

The bartender looked at him with wide eyes and an Are-you-insane? expression on his face. He frowned confused until the girl explained: "Remember, no one can see me except for you." Oh yeah right, she was _his_ hallucination and his only.

"Maybe you want to move to sit in a separate area or else everybody will start to stare at you soon if you continue talking with me" she said looking around the yet relatively empty bar.

"I don't care" he mumbled grimly. "I'm used to people's staring. I don't give a shit if they think that I am insane, talking to an invisible ghost hallucination." The girl giggled and the bartender quickly turned away, pretending he'd be busy while his hands were shaking in fear.

"Damn people" he muttered and took another gulp.

"Why are they staring at you?" He gazed at her over the sake bottle, thinking she'd joke but that apparently wasn't the case. She looked truly serious.

"Look at me" he said. "I'm huge, blue and have the appearance of a shark. Of course people stare when they see an ugly monster like me" he grumbled the last part under his breath but she still heard him.

"I don't think you're ugly."

"So? In that case you have a twisted taste."

"You just look different than most people do but that isn't a bad thing and it doesn't mean that you're ugly. I say that the people are only jealous of you and your strength because they are just ordinary boring normal people." She winked at him smiling and he had to grin too, showing her his sharp teeth. He actually started to like that little pest.

He took some more sips and it went quiet between them until she broke it.

"So… if you get sunburn, does your skin then turn purple?" He coughed in surprise, staring at the girl wide-eyed. She only looked at him innocently and in question.

"W-What?" he managed to choke out.

"I think you understood quite well."

"I won't answer such a stupid question."

"It's not stupid, it's curious!" she exclaimed. "So…?" she asked after some seconds as he still didn't answer. He stayed quiet but she didn't give up.

"What about playing a game? I ask you a question and then you ask me a question and we both have to answer truthfully. Don't you want to know what my name is and why I am here and why you are the only one that can see me?" she asked tauntingly and with a secretive voice.

This was completely stupid.

"My skin doesn't turn people but red although I don't get sunburn often. What is your name?"

"Hope" she answered immediately. "Can you breathe underwater?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples, already regretting that he agreed. "Yes. Why can only I see you?"

"I come to help people who are in despair, lost in darkness, and try to help them. But it's always only them who can see me. Is your appearance genetically or something like that?"

"No, it's the result of experimentations."

"That sounds cruel" she said but he only shrugged, thinking about his next question.

"Are you really a ghost?"

She pondered about it for some moments. "I don't really know… I mean I once had a human body a very long time ago but then I died and suddenly had this form. Can you smell blood? I know that sharks can do it."

"Yes, in a radius of around hundred meters. You said that you come to those who are lost in despair but I don't feel like I fit in this category."

"You are sad" she answered seriously, staring into his eyes with her blue ones, "sad and hurt and also angry. I felt it and that's why I'm here." Suddenly she was once again the smiling, upbeat and cheerful child as she asked her next question: "Do you have several rows of teeth?"

He sighed, getting tired and annoyed of this game. "Listen kid, I'm not completely a shark. I'm also human."

"I know that. I'm only curious so answer the question!" Hope glared at him threatening.

Another sigh. "No I don't have them. Who else in history did you already encounter? Some of the big names too?"

"I'm sorry but I can't answer you that. I once decided that I won't ever tell anyone about the other persons I meet or have met."

"Good in that case the game is over and you lost as you didn't answer the question" he finished.

"What?" she wailed. "But I wasn't finished interrogating you yet!"

"Too bad because I've got everything that interests me." She pouted and turned away. A second later he heard her sniff but that only made him roll his eyes.

"Damn brat." With one last gulp he emptied the bottle and put it down on the bar table. "Another one." The man gave it to him without a word but his brown eyes gazed curiously to him and that's when he realized that he of course had spoken out some of these embarrassing things that he actually wanted no one to hear.

Damn brat.

"You know you shouldn't drink so much."

"Why is that? And who are you to decide this?"

"Drinking isn't healthy and it makes you do things you regret later. Also your problems won't get solved through it."

He frowned at her. "How can you judge this if you never drank alcohol before?"

She glared at him but it was more cute than threatening. "I've seen enough people doing this!" she snapped at him.

"Whatever. I won't stop just because a little brat tells me to do it."

"I'm not a little brat!"

He gave her a pointed look. "You're right. You're a tiny brat."

"Why you…" she growled and wanted to punch him but her tiny fist only slipped through his arm, she lost her balance and ended falling to the floor with a loud thud. He couldn't stop himself as he laughed out loud in amusement.

"Stop laughing you meanie!" came her voice from the floor as she rubbed her behind.

"I… I can't" he snorted with laughter and hit the bar table with the palm of his hand as his fit of laughter continued.

Hope patiently waited for him to stop, standing on the ground with her hands balled to fists, glaring at him and blowing one of her strands out of her face.

"Oh girlie you are truly amusing." She only grumbled.

"Do you have a room here?" Hope suddenly asked and stepped toward the stairs leading up.

"Yes why?" He was still shaken by laughter.

"It gets boring down here and I want to see your room!"

"I'm not finished drinking yet" he countered and gripped his bottle possessively. Not even this brat could prevent him from having his drinking session.

.

.

.

He had no idea how she managed to drag him away from the counter, up the stairs and made him open his room. Now he was sitting on his bed, still confused on how he got here while his half-filled sake bottle stood lonely on the counter downstairs.

"It's so plain" she complained while looking around the white walls, the big bed, the brown armoire, and the simple desk with the empty book shelves above. "It feels like no one even lives here!"

He shrugged and leaned back on the mattress, his arms crossed behind his head. "It's alright."

"No it's not! The room is your home after all!" He snorted as he never had thought about it as his home. It was just a room he returned to after every mission. For him it was simply a place to sleep; nothing else.

"It greatly lacks color."

"I'm not allowed to paint the walls" he informed her. And even if he'd be allowed to do so he wouldn't.

"Then hang up some posters or pictures! What about paintings of the sea with a beautiful sunset in the background? Or having the poster of a shark on your door?" She ranted on some more minutes about stupid decoration tips until he stood up and decided to take a shower.

"Hey I wasn't finished with advising you!" she yelled but he shut the bathroom door. With an exasperate sigh he ran his hand through his blue hair. Hopefully she couldn't step through doors with her form, he thought while taking off his filthy shinobi gear.

After a relaxing hot shower he then just realized that he forgot to bring clothes with him in order to escape the rant of the girl. No chance he'd dress into these dirty clothes again. Sighing he knot the towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. She was sitting on the bed and stared at him openly as soon as he left the bathroom.

"You really are muscular." He sweat dropped.

"Right…" he mumbled. "Sorry but you are a little too young for my interest" he said only partly as a joke while he walked to his backpack and picked out some clothes and underwear.

"I told you that I am actually much older than you are! I'm just stuck with this young form..."

"Too bad because I believe that you would have become very beautiful in an older body." It had slipped his lips before he even knew what he was saying. He could slap himself for that. Now he was even flirting with his own hallucination?! Get a grip on yourself, he grounded himself while hurrying into the bathroom but before he shut the door he heard her laughing.

* * *

"So do you even sleep?" he asked a few minutes later as he lay only in boxers in his bed and she was curled up beside him. God he just hoped that nobody would find them this way, he thought. He didn't want to be accused to be a pedophile. But then he remembered that no one except for him could see her.

"The game is over. I don't answer any questions anymore" she replied childishly.

"Whatever" he mumbled and turned off the light. For some minutes he lay wide awake in the bed, staring at the ceiling illuminated by the moonlight shining through the windows.

He would never say it out loud but he had enjoyed the time with the brat to the fullest. And it was somewhat a good feeling knowing that in the next morning he wouldn't wake up with a hangover for once.

Maybe he should go shopping tomorrow. Seeing if he could find a picture or two that would fit in his room…

* * *

**After the sad last chapter this one was lighter. What do you think Kisame should put in his room? **

**The next chapter will probably be about Tsunade. If you want any characters to appear, please let me know!  
**


	6. Tsunade - Visitor

**Thanks to Inanari for the review! **

**Tsunade - Visitor **

_Hope shines brightest in the darkest moments_

"I bet everything!" she exclaimed in a slurry voice and slammed the remaining money down on the ground in front of her. The other gamblers looked at each other and then cheered. They knew of the famous reputation of the legendary sucker, the slug princess that always loses. Only a few minutes later they were confirmed that the rumors were true: She had lost everything.

"Too bad, lady" the winner said but he grinned widely. She though only shrugged and grabbed the sake bottle the man offered her probably as a mocking booby prize.

Drunkenly she stumbled out of the house and into the cold and fresh night. The sky was illuminated by stars and even though it was already past midnight the village was still buzzing with life.

She had lost her assistant Shizune and her pig Tonton some while ago. That light weight was always out cold too soon.

Her vision was blurry as she stumbled through the night toward where she thought her apartment should be. Her mind was foggy, lulled by the effects of the alcohol.

That was good. The alcohol kept the dark thoughts away from sneaking into her mind, throwing her into the depths of depression and despair. It's already been years since their deaths but she just couldn't stop grieving. Every night she had nightmares that forced her over and over again to watch her beloved ones die in front of her. And during the day she was haunted by painful memories she only could make disappear with enough booze.

The apartment must be somewhere in the parallel street, she thought. If she'd go through an alley connecting those two streets then she should make it faster.

The ability of a healer allowed her to drink more alcohol than normal people could but at some point even she had her limit when she couldn't think and stand anymore.

She stumbled toward a dark alley that appeared in her blurred vision. Steadying herself against the wall she lifted the bottle she was still holding to her mouth. Her hands were shaking. Some of the liquor missed her mouth and ran down her chin. She gulped the alcohol down, the only medicine helping her through these days.

She couldn't allow the memories to resurface in her mind, along with the guilt, pain, despair and sadness.

Entering the alley the light from the busy street was immediately sucked up. Darkness was now the only thing surrounding her. Guiding herself along the wall she took one shaky step after another.

She looked down. Some liquid flowed in a little stream over the stone. In the moonlight shining from above it almost looked crimson, like blood.

Blood.

She started to tremble. Her entire body was suddenly frozen in fear. The bottle slipped through her numb fingers and crashed onto the stone, shattering into pieces. It sounded just like thunder roaring in her ears.

Thunder in the sky… blood coloring the ground red… a weak beating heart… cold flesh… the smell of death and blood… her scream echoing through the darkness…

She doubled over and vomited into the stream. Sweat covered her skin. Her blonde hair hung messy in her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dropping into the river, into the river of blood.

_"__Dammit stop coming out! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop…"_

No, not now! Shaking she stumbled out of the darkness and into the light of the illuminated and busy street.

Frightened she moved her hands in front of her face, afraid of what she would see. But they were clear, only stained with her vomit, but no blood.

Looking ahead she saw the house with her apartment. It took an eternity to get there but she already remembered nothing of it as she finally stood in the floor leading to her room. Luckily she still had her key and didn't lose it like so many times before.

She wanted to take a step in front of the door when she suddenly noticed the figure curled up in front of it. Cursing she barely was able to put her foot away to not step onto the person. Narrowing her eyes she could make out a small girl sleeping peacefully on the ground in the middle of the hallway in front of the entrance to her room.

"Hey get up and move it" she slurred, about to kick the girl. It was her own damn fault for sleeping in front of _her _apartment. But before her foot made contact with the girl's side, she suddenly stood up, yawning and stretching.

"Out of my way" she grumbled and wanted to push the girl aside to try and put the key into the keyhole.

"Oh so you finally came!" The loud high voice of the girl made her cringe. "I thought you'd never appear."

Her foggy mind couldn't quite process what the girl just said and so she just grunted and tried to hit the keyhole.

"You don't look good… And you smell like a whole liquor shop!"

Damn, why were there suddenly three of these holes?

"Where are that young black haired woman and the pig that are always with you?"

The key did not match in any of the three holes.

"Shall I help you?"

"Okay door you wanted to have it the hard way" she mumbled, struck out and let her fist collide with the poor door.

Stepping through the new created passageway she finally got into her apartment. Exhausted she collapsed right on the bed. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed the girl following her but she was too tired to send her away. She just wanted to close her eyes in hope that she would for once get a restless sleep without any nightmares.

But then her eyes captured the blue crystal lying next to her head. The necklace seemed to have slipped out of her cleavage.

This necklace…

The necklace of her grandfather: She gave it to both of them, as a present, a sign of her faith in their dreams, a sign of how precious they were to her. But all that this necklace had brought to them was death and now it was only a constant reminder of her hurtful memories.

Tears gathered in her eyes, fell down and soaked the blanket.

She missed them, missed them so much.

Something warm touched the top of her head. Out of the corners of her eyes she saw the girl sitting down next to her, smiling sadly at her.

She recognized her from somewhere. This childish face that at the same time bared so much more than a simple child could ever bear. These bright blue eyes sparkled with laughter while they held an expression like they have seen all the terrors in the world.

She knew her… from these times… she had been there… a white dot in the sea of blood, a light in the darkness.

"You have to sleep" the child softly said, caressing her cheek and wiping away her tears. "Don't worry. I will ease your pain. I will make the darkness in your heart disappear for this night so that you can get the deserved rest. I'm here with you." She smiled, bright and beautiful. This carefree smile reminded her so much of him…

_"__To be Hokage that is my dream!"_

And her words were so calm and soft like Dan's, calming down her very own soul and giving her strength.

_"__Let's make our dreams come true."_

"I will not leave you this time. Tomorrow we will fetch you back together but for now sleep." With that the warmth consumed her, gave her peace. She was too tired to hold her eyes open any longer.

Her mind drifted off into sleep and somehow she knew that this time she wouldn't be plagued by any nightmares because _she _was here.

* * *

**I love Tsunade, she is next to Konan the greatest female character in Naruto so I hope you liked it. Next chapter will be Itachi.  
**

**Please review!**


	7. Itachi - Smile

**Thanks to Inanari for reviewing! Here comes your requested Itachi chapter. Hope you enjoy it!**

**Itachi - Smile**

_Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth._

He was sitting away from their campsite on a low tree branch hanging over a river, watching as the water flew past under his hanging feet in quick rapids.

"Hey there it's nice to see you again, Itachi." He was already used to her popping out of nowhere or else he probably would have either fallen into the river by shock or swung a bunch of kunai into her direction as a greeting.

He couldn't sense, hear or smell her until she said something or appeared in his line of vision. She could have stood there for a couple of minutes and yet he wouldn't notice.

He tilted his head to look at her and thereby acknowledging her presence. Hope stood at the base of the tree branch, her arms outstretched to keep the balance as she carefully stepped closer to him.

"Hello Hope" he greeted her as she reached him and sat down next to him, dangling her naked feet into the air. "It's nice to see you again."

The first time she had appeared was when he had made his first contact with war and the result of what humans were capable of. Since then she had helped him through his ANBU days, Shisui's death, the time before and during the massacre and finally his days in Akatsuki. She often seemed to appear completely randomly but at least she was respectful enough to mostly only encounter him when he was alone so that he didn't have to be impolite and ignore her or else Kisame would seriously doubt his sanity when he out of the blue started to talk to an empty spot beside him.

"It's nice to see you too Itachi. How are you?" A small smile appeared on his lips. Sometimes she acted like his personal psychologist.

"Hn." He knew that he didn't have to say more. She was used to his short answers and started to read through the tiny emotions he let slip past his impassive mask, as well as his body language. It was the same like Kisame had learnt to do during their time as partners.

Right now he was relaxed. His Akatsuki cloak was opened in the front, revealing his blue shirt and the net gear he wore underneath. His right foot dangled off the branch, he brought his left one to his torso, his hands rested on his knee and his black eyes showed a slim trace of warmth and peace. It probably was because he was alone and he didn't have to put on the mask of a cold merciless killer when he was with her.

"What did you do today?" Hope asked cheerfully.

"I and Kisame mostly traveled" he answered politely. He had learned a long time ago that it was better to give her the answers right away or she wouldn't let go and instead would try to annoy him so long until she got them anyway.

"Where are you travelling to?" If Pain would know that one of his best subordinates was sitting in the middle of nature telling some hallucination-girl Akatsuki-secrets, he most likely would regret to ever have recruited him.

"We are travelling to a small village in the Land of Rivers."

"Do you have a mission there?" He nodded. "What kind of mission?"

"We have to contact a certain man who might know someone who could be a threat to Akatsuki."

"Cool you have to tell me afterwards how it played out okay Itachi?" Once again he just nodded.

It once again was silent between them. Tt was not an awkward silence but an understanding, peaceful one. They watched the reflection of the bright sun sparkling in the streaming water. Birds were singing in a nearby tree and a slight breeze let the leaves rustle.

"It's so peaceful here" she mumbled with a sigh and he agreed fully with her. After some more silent minutes he felt her stare on him. Looking into her blue eyes he raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

She titled her head to the side, appearing to be unsure how to put it until she finally said: "You always look so sad. Ever since I first met you there is this constant sadness in your eyes, even when you have been with your brother and supposed to be happy. Why? Why do you always carry it with you the whole time like a big boulder?"

"I am simply not supposed to be happy" he replied calmly. "For what I did in the past, for the crimes I committed, I don't deserve happiness."

"Wrong" she simply stated with a look that left no room for argument. "Everyone deserves happiness and love and to feel hope. No matter what they did or might do or what they are. Also I think that you already suffered enough as punishment for your acts. I know that you are sick and plan on getting killed by your brother. That's one more reason why you should stop having these depressing thoughts, stop being sad and live the rest of your life properly. Have some fun, do crazy things and all this stuff."

"I am in a criminal organization" he said but she only waved it off.

"This is only an excuse. Criminals are allowed to have fun too. You deserve to be happy for once in a while so wipe off that gloomy sadness and smile!" she exclaimed and smiled wide and bright herself, showing him her white perfect teeth like presenting him how to smile properly. He chuckled amused and she beamed at him.

"You see, it wasn't that hard now was it? You have to promise me that you will smile every day at least once heartily whether I am around or not."

Smiling he nodded. "I promise."

"Good!" Happily she turned her attention back to watch the sparkling water.

"Where is Kisame now?" she suddenly asked.

"Collecting firewood but he is coming closer to our location" he answered as he could perfectly sense his partner even though Kisame had partly masked his monstrous chakra.

Hope pouted. "He should go away I don't want to leave you yet." He smiled at her.

"You don't have to." With that he jumped off the branch and onto the bank. Not a second later Kisame walked out of the trees with his arms full of fire wood. He grinned at his partner.

"Who were you talking to Itachi?" The raven haired ninja had put back his emotionless mask and only 'hn'ed while Hope walked up to his side quietly. Not even the leaves on the ground rustled when she stepped on them.

"Who doesn't have to do what?" Kisame enquired following them toward the camp. In his mind he cursed himself for saying this last sentence out loud and thus allowing Kisame to hear him with chakra supported hearing.

"You can tell him the truth" the girl suggested with a shrug. He had a feeling that she and Kisame already knew each other.

"I didn't feel anyone beside you. Are you talking to invisible voices? Do I have to start worrying about your sanity now?" he asked chuckling but with a serious undertone.

"I was talking to a strange girl that appeared suddenly next to me" he finally replied truthfully and seriously as they entered the cleaning where they would rest for the night.

Everyone else probably would have thought it to be a joke but Kisame stopped dead in the tracks before walking to the middle of the cleaning and dropping the wood on the ground. Frowning he turned to his partner.

"She didn't have blonde hair, blue eyes and a white dress on by any chance?"

"Hn." It was a clear yes.

"Was her name Hope?"

"Hn." Again it was a positive answer. Kisame cursed.

"I take this that you know her."

His partner only growled. "The little runt made me buy some picture for my home back in Kirigakure." Hope who was sitting on the grass cross-legged giggled.

"The pictures were beautiful: Paintings from a misty Kiri, a shark and a sunset. I chose them" she proudly stated and Itachi allowed himself to smile slightly.

"What is she saying?" Kisame asked with narrowed eyes.

"We should prepare the fire before the night starts" he only said.

"Right" Kisame mumbled but while they made the fire, sat down on the grass and ate he always let his eyes wander across the cleaning suspiciously but this time she had come for Itachi and thus only he could see her.

"I take the first shift" he informed his partner who yawned and stretched, popping his muscles in the process.

"Alright Itachi, you just want to be alone with the brat, right?" he mumbled but lay down on his air mattress.

It turned silent on the cleaning. The flames cackled, a slight breeze rustled through the leaves, sometimes they could hear an animal in the distance and soon Kisame's light snoring showed that he had fallen asleep.

"Itachi, can I stay with you for the night?" Hope asked leaning her head against his shoulder while staring into the dancing fire although he only felt the warmth of the energy she seemed to be made of. He smiled at her.

"Yes of course." She titled her head upwards until she met his eyes and smiled back.

* * *

**Please review!  
**


	8. Sasuke - Shooting star

**Thanks to Inanari for the review!**

**Sasuke – Shooting star**

_Can we pretend that airplanes  
in the night sky are like shooting stars?  
I could really use a wish right now  
Wish right now, wish right now_ _(Airplanes – B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams)_

He had no idea what made him come up here. He rather should have spent this evening to train and to become stronger. Instead he was sitting in a field of grass on top of a hill, gazing at the night sky above Konoha.

"This sight is so beautiful, don't you agree Sasuke?"

"Why did he have to come anyway? When you asked me I thought it would be a date between only the two of us…"

"Shut up Naruto! Why do you even think that I would ever ask you out for a date?! I thought we could enjoy this as a team but maybe I shouldn't have asked _you_ in the first place!"

"Why do you always have to be so mean Sakura?"

Oh yes and in addiction he was stuck with those two morons in his team.

"Just be quiet you annoying loser" he grumbled without looking into Naruto's direction.

"Shut up Sasuke!"

"Don't talk to Sasuke like that! And he's right: be quiet or you ruin everything."

"He started it!"

"Moron" he mumbled and immediately could feel that idiot's rage through his spiking chakra.

"Naruto quit it!"

"Ouch Sakura what was that for?" he whined rubbing his head.

What was he even doing here? He couldn't afford to waste time. He had to train to become stronger and stronger. He had to prepare for the time they'd cross paths again. He wasn't the innocent weak child anymore but he knew that this wasn't enough yet to beat _him_. He would be the one to make him pay, to beat and kill him, to avenge his clan and mostly his dead parents but in order to do so he had to train instead of sitting uselessly on top of a hill staring at blinking stars in the accompany of two completely annoying idiots who only held him back in his path of vengeance.

"This sky is soooooo pwetty!" His head snapped up by hearing this high voice. It belonged to neither of his team mates but to that annoying little girl calling herself Hope. She was lying on the grass to his left – to his right side Sakura was sitting, constantly trying to move further to his side – her hands behind her back and staring into the sky.

"I love the night sky. I could lie here forever, just watching it." This Hope girl was even more annoying than both of his teammates together.

He had first met her during the night of the massacre. Suddenly she had appeared by his side and since then she always popped up at the most unfitting moments; for example when he trained alone hours for hours to increase his strength, or got his power from the painful memories haunting him, or when he imagined all the ways he would kill Itachi.

"Sasuke be careful that girl is about to touch you…" Hope suddenly giggled, interrupting once again his chain of thoughts. Gazing to the side he indeed saw Sakura's hand sneak up to his back while her body almost touched his. A slight pink flushed her cheeks.

He inwardly sighed. Why did this weak girl not realize that he wanted nothing from her? He didn't have the time to waste his efforts on such useless things like relationships when he had a greater goal to pursuit. Also she didn't interest him one bit. She was too weak, even weaker than Naruto.

"Hey look what Sakura brought up here! Sweet dumplings!" Naruto yelled and appeared in front of them with three dango sticks in his hand and a wide grin on his face.

He never would have admitted it but right now he was happy that this idiot appeared or he would have been forced to push this clingy girl aside.

"Naruto they were meant for later!"

"Who cares if we eat them now or later? I'm hungry." He giggled and put the first dumpling into his watering mouth, chewing on it happily.

"They are not all for you!" Sakura hissed and snapped the two remaining sticks out of his hand. Blushing she turned to him. He always wondered how she could be all aggressive and angry when facing Naruto but sweet and shy in front of him.

Hope laughed. "Forget it; boys will never completely understand girls. We are a mystery." Confused he gazed at her. Could she now even read his thoughts…?

"Sasuke…" Sakura started. "Do you want a dumpling? I extra bought them for you."

"Hn." He took it and immediately turned away from her while moving more to the left toward Hope but away from his teammate, making the little girl laugh in amusement.

"Why exactly are we here again anyway?" Naruto asked with full mouth. "I mean the sky looks nice and all but it's no different to any other night so why specifically today?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Idiot I told you when I asked you to come!"

"Yeah but… I only paid attention to the fact that you would ask me out" he mumbled blushing slightly.

Sakura huffed in exasperation while he had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. This whole thing was so absurd that it was funny. That idiot loved Sakura who in return only beat and yelled at the idiot because she was in love with _him_. But he couldn't care less about things like love and stuff.

"This night is special because there will be a lot of shooting stars crossing the sky. And everyone knows that you have to make a wish when you see a shooting star and it might fulfill itself."

Naruto's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Really?" he asked and grinned while staring at Sakura. It wasn't that hard to guess what he would wish for if he'd see one, same case with Sakura who once again tried to inch closer to him.

"Well it isn't that hard to guess your wish either" Hope replied with a grin. "Let me try: It will involve another person and a billion of painful ways said person should die tough these scenes better should be censored while playing out in your crazy little mind."

Angrily he glared at her and just wanted to tell her that she had no idea but held his tongue. The others couldn't see her and he wanted to save him the embarrassment and need to explain when he would suddenly snap at thin air.

"Oh come on that would be fun" she giggled. By now he was truly concerned that she really seemed to read his thoughts.

"Well in that case let's watch out for shooting stars!" Naruto yelled with a grin. "I will be the first to see one believe it!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Stop yelling you're embarrassing. Why can't you be quiet like Sasuke?"

Immediately he felt the idiot's burning stare on him. "Why should I be like someone like him?" he grumbled.

"Because he is strong and cool unlike you" she hissed.

"That's so no true Sakura! I'm really cool and skillful myself; believe it!"

"I don't understand why you constantly complain about your team; I think they are funny" Hope said chuckling while still staring into the sky.

A ninja team doesn't have to be funny but skillful, he thought. With another more skilled team he probably would have become stronger by now and would have been able to face _him_ to-

"Shooting star!" Hope suddenly yelled and before he could catch himself he searched the sky for it but didn't find any trace of it.

"What are you looking around for Sasuke? Did you see one?" Sakura asked from beside him.

"Where where?" Naruto looked around frantically.

It was then that he heard Hope's laughter as she was rolling on the grass trying to catch her breath.

"I think I have to come more often when you are with your team; it's just too funny" she giggled. Angrily that she tricked him he stared at her and only 'hn'ed.

They spent a couple of more hours on the hill until the first shooting stars fell down from the sky like a golden shower. More and more followed.

"I can't make that many wished like they appear!" Naruto shouted as they watched in awe the rain of shooting stars.

"It almost looks like angels falling from the sky" Sakura mumbled gawking in fascination.

He didn't say anything but it was indeed a special night. Even Hope was silent.

And somewhere, in the far back of his mind, he was glad that he had come up here this night with his team instead of training alone and thus missing this event.

* * *

**Please review! Next one will probably be Sasori.  
**


	9. Sasori - Ice Cream

**A big shout-out to my loyal reviewer Inanari! Your feedbacks always make my day!**

**Sasori – Ice Cream**

_Wake me, c'mon and wake me up now I  
Want to cut off my strings and break,  
Loose of your control of me,  
Cut your strings and be free with me (Puppet – Thousand Foot Krutch)_

Carefully he linked the two limbs together and connected them. Testing the joint he was able to stretch the puppet arm fully to his liking. For the next step he reached out for the bottle with liquid poison which he had prepared beforehand.

Thus he came across the small hand of the girl. Looking up he saw her sitting like usually on the counter of his workbench, dangling her feet off the edge, watching him work with high interest and awe in her blue eyes, absorbing every move he did.

Without saying a word to acknowledge her presence he grabbed the poison and went ahead to cover the weapons he'd use for his new creation with the liquid.

The first time she appeared was after granny Chiyo had once again filled him with her lies, telling him that his parents would come home soon, making him continue to wait and wait. The girl had waited with him and managed to distract him from the fact that no matter how long he waited; they'd never come home.

Ever since he joined the puppeteer corps and thus spent most of his time working on his creations she popped up once in a while, keeping him company. Mostly he didn't even notice her as he was completely absorbed in his work and was not able to sense her sudden approach, but this didn't seem to stop her since she continued coming. He didn't mind that, for she was a quiet observer and did not disturb him during his work.

"Sasori…?" she suddenly asked innocently. Okay well most times she did not disturb him.

He didn't say anything but continued placing the poisonous weapons into his puppet. He'd ignore her until she'd give up.

"Sasori" she continued calling his name. "Sasori, Sasori, Sasori, Sasori!"

"What?!" he finally snapped, looking up to glare at her. A victorious smirk played around her lips before it once again turned into an innocent look.

"Do you ever do anything else than being stuck in this workshop?"

"What else should I do?" he asked slightly irritated. He had work to do and didn't have the time to chat with her.

"What about going outside for once in a while? The sun is shining, it's beautiful weather and you look too pale to consider it healthy. You need to get tanner."

"I don't think so. Besides I have work which I have to finish."

"But you are already good in time; that's what your friend said earlier." For a second he looked at her confused but then he remembered Komushi coming here earlier to pick up a sample for a new poison he would deliver to granny Chiyo.

"He is not my friend, just a person delivering things from me to granny" he stated. He didn't have any friends and he didn't need them. Friends were a waste of time.

"Whatever, I want to go outside."

"Then do it" he mumbled rolling his eyes.

"But I want you to come with me!" She gave him a pointed look, crossing her arms in front of her tiny chest.

"Too bad because I won't come." He almost had this puppet finished and then he wanted to try out a new poison.

"Why not? You're always stuck in this dark dusty workshop, never once taking a break. I know that this puppetry is very important to you but you appear to be only a mere robot; a machine who does nothing else than working. Enjoy your life once in a while, let the sun shine down on your face and look at the world around you!"

He didn't answer. Soon he wouldn't be in this pathetic village anymore anyway. As soon as he would have created the last puppet he had set for his goal he would break free and turn his back on Suna and his grandmother and never look back. The sole purpose of his life was his art; the creation of his eternal lasting puppets. He already worked on turning himself into art. Hilariously Komushi had been the one to bring him to this idea; the brat that had no idea of art whatsoever.

"Break away from your daily routine and come out with me for once!"

He continued to ignore her. This girl seemed to be more understanding about his art than any of the villagers but she was still an annoying little brat.

"If you don't come I will continue bugging you so long until you do come" she threatened. "Sasori Sasori Sasori Sasori Sasori Sasori…" she started to continue repeating his name in an annoying endless matter.

He took a deep breath and gripped the handle of a poisoned kunai.

"That won't work against me as I don't have a body" she said slyly. "Sasori Sasori Sasori Sasori-"

"Fine!" he growled unnerved and annoyed and stood up.

"Wohoo!" the girl exclaimed and jumped off the counter. He knew that at some point she had told him her name but he forgot it.

Together they left the workshop and stepped out into the hot sun of the noon. Without paying any attention to his surroundings he followed the girl. In his mind he imagined himself filling her up with his poisons to make her finally go quiet as she hopped through the sandy streets humming loudly.

"An ice cream stand!" she suddenly yelled and pointed at said stand with sparkling eyes.

"What about it?" he asked bored. He really wanted to just go back to his workshop and continue making his puppets.

"Buy me some ice cream! Please please please please please…!" she begged, looking at him with puppy eyes.

"Fine" he mumbled, making her jump into the air in delight. She sped toward the stand, hopping up and down waiting for him to catch up.

"One vanilla ice cream" he ordered and bought it. He guided her into a cool alley and held the waffle with the ice cream out for her. She reached to grab it – but her fingers just slipped through. With a scowl on her face she tried again and again, becoming more and more desperate with every try but it was of no use. She couldn't grasp the ice cream she was craving for.

"That's so no fair!" she screamed frustrated, balling her hands into fists.

"You knew you couldn't grasp it but still made me buy it?" he asked narrowing his eyes. She looked down at her feet, playing with her fingers nervously.

"I hoped this time would be different" she mumbled.

He sighed and just wanted to drop the waffle right into the sand but she held his arm – well not like actually holding it but suddenly there was this force keeping him from doing what he wanted.

"What now?" he asked irritated and annoyed. This whole thing was just wasted time.

"Don't drop it! It's too tasty-looking! You can eat it, after all you bought it."

He would certainly not eat the ice cream. He looked at her firmly but she didn't give up yet.

"If you eat I will allow you to return to your puppets." He sighed.

"Fine." Cursing her in his mind he started to lick at the cold ice cream that was already starting to melt. They silently walked back to his workshop.

It had been years since the last time he ate ice cream. Granny Chiyo had once bought him some to try to cheer him up. Back then he had been a naïve kid that still believed in the lies his granny had told him; had believed that one day his parents would come back if he just waited long enough.

Frowning he shook his head to make these memories disappear.

A trace of melted ice cream ran down the waffle and onto his fingers. With a disapproved look he quickly ate the rest before more of that substance would cover his hands.

"Did you like it?" the girl asked, smiling up at him.

"It was…" he didn't know what to say. Not appropriated? A complete waste of time? Then she surely would throw a tantrum because of it.

"It was refreshing" he finally answered in the lack of better words but she seemed please enough by it and hummed, still with that big grin on her lips.

"I'm glad to hear that. I really would have wanted to eat it myself." She sighed. Finally his workshop came in sight and he quickened his pace. They entered the cool room and instantly he felt at home with the puppets, his creations, hanging from the walls and ceiling, and the work table coming in sight at the end of the hallway. The light was as always dim, casting more shadows than giving light but he liked it this way. Walking to a sink he washed the remaining traces of the ice cream from his hands and then sat back down in the chair in front of his latest project.

The girl as always sat down on the counter, becoming once again the quiet observer as he started to work on the puppet.

But all the way through his work he still felt the warm breeze blowing through his hair, had to brush the sand corns off his skin and tasted the distance trace of cold vanilla ice cream on his tongue.

Yes it definitely had been refreshing.


	10. Naruto - Ramen time

**Thanks to Inanari and** **Weirdnfreaky for the reviews!**

**Naruto – Ramen time**

_The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams (Eleanor Roosevelt)_

"You little runt! Clean this mess up right away!" the man yelled, holding him with one hand by the collar of his shirt while pointing at the red face with the stuck out tongue that was painted on the front of the man's shop.

He just grumbled, trying to squirm out of the man's grip. The pot with the red paint stood on the ground, traces of the paint were on his cream-colored shirt with the Uzumaki swirl on the back as well as on his green pants.

"Stop squirming and clean this mess up kid! You won't escape this time!" the man yelled and shoved him harshly to the painting. A bucket of water and a sponge were already placed there.

Angrily he turned around and glared at the shop owner who stood there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

His blue eyes wandered then to the crowd of people who already had gathered in a semi-circle around them. They all stared at him with cold eyes and with wrinkled noses while whispering to each other.

He hated it. Hated it how they looked at him like they'd be better than him, looked at him like he was an abomination, looked at him with hatred and distaste even though he didn't even know them! He just wanted to throw the pot with paint right into their stupid faces!

"What are you glaring at?! Start to clean up! After all you have the whole street to do afterwards!"

"That stupid kid, if he would be my brat I wouldn't let him behave like that."

"Yeah… But what to do if he hasn't even parents who can punish him? I just wish the Hokage would finally do something about that kid."

"He should be locked away."

"I heard that he is about to enter the academy. I don't want to imagine if he is in the same class like my girl. In the end his bad behavior rubs off on her!"

"Not to mention that he is a danger to all children. I really don't understand the Hokage, exposing all the normal children to such a risk."

"I wish he would have died during the fox attack then we would have a bunch of less trouble to deal with."

"Shut up!" he yelled, glaring at the whispering adults. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" No one of them looked shocked or sorry because of his outburst. They all just stared at him with cold judging eyes.

"Stop it…" he mumbled, taking a step back, stumbling over the bucket, knocking it over and landing in the soaped water. They didn't laugh at him but only continued their staring.

"Stop looking at me like that!" he screamed and scrambled on his feet, pushed through two adults and ran down the street.

"Come back here and clean up!" Ignoring the man's furious yell he continued running and running through Konoha, his head lowered, his teeth gritted in anger, blinking away the tears.

"Hey wait!" a voice suddenly called out behind him but he didn't listen to it and only sped up. He would take revenge this night, messing up their houses with even more paintings.

"Dammit stop! I want… to talk… to you!" the same high voice from before called out, seeming out of breath. That was good, whoever that person was he soon would lose it as he wasn't even tired one bit. He was to become a ninja after all; he couldn't get tired from such a short running.

"Naruto!" His eyes widened in shock, he oversaw a rock and fell face down on the ground.

"Ouch" he mumbled, rubbing his sore face while turning on his back and glancing up. A girl around seven years old with blonde hair shining in the sun light, blue eyes and in a white dress bent down on her knees panting heavily.

"Damn you're really a good runner" she gasped. He eyed her suspiciously.

"Who are you?" He never saw her before. "And how do you know my name?"

"I heard it somewhere." People usually never called him by his name but only called him kid, runt, brat or idiot.

"What do you want?" he growled while he pushed himself up, eyeing the environment in case these adults would show up again.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked him instead and pointed at his face. "It looked painful when you fell." She looked concerned, or so it seemed. The only ones who were at least a little bit concerned about his well-being were the old Hokage and the guy from Ichiraku's. Thinking of which he noticed that he was hungry.

"Leave me alone" he grumbled and pushed the dust off his clothes.

"Are you the one who painted all these shops, houses and walls red?"

He narrowed his blue eyes at her and looked at her challenging. "Yes what about it?"

Suddenly the girl laughed. "I like it!" Now he was completely stunned.

"Uh… uh… thanks. I guess?" She grinned widely at him. In that moment his stomach decided to growl.

Sheepishly he laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I actually wanted to go to Ichiraku's and eat some ramen. The painting and running made me really hungry."

"Can I join you?" she asked beaming at him.

He looked at her surprised. Nobody had ever asked him before to accompany him at Ichiraku's. But then he grinned widely. "Sure! Come on, follow me!"

From where they were it was only a short walk. Unconsciously he had automatically run into the direction of the ramen stand. Well his legs knew what his stomach wanted!

The delicious ramen smell hit him when they were only a few meters away and immediately his mouth started to water. The girl laughed when she saw him drooling already and together they ducked under the sheets and sat down on the chairs.

"Hey old man, I'm back!" he greeted the owner of Ichiraku's. The man smiled warmly.

"I can see that Naruto. The same as usual?"

"Yes!" He then turned to the girl. "What do you want?"

"What does who want?" the old man asked confused, staring at where the girl was sitting.

"My companion of course!"

"What companion? I can't see anybody beside you in here."

"They can't see me" the girl explained shrugging while smiling sheepishly. "You're the only one who can."

His eyes widened. "Really?! But you still have to eat a ramen; I tell you they are the most delicious best in the whole world!"

The old man laughed. "Well I don't know what's going on but thanks for the compliment."

Suddenly the girl looked downward depressed. "I wish I could eat it but unfortunately I simply can't!" she whined. "With this body it's like I'm made out of smoke. I can't even touch anything."

"That sucks, seriously!" Sobbing she nodded. "Isn't there any way you can change it? Having to live without even once tasting ramen… I can't even imagine it! That must be horrible!" The simple thought was horrifying.

"Sadly no… I've been like this for a very long time and didn't find a way to touch anything yet."

"I'm sorry."

She laughed suddenly, the earlier depression completely gone. "Ah you don't have to be Naruto."

"By the way what's your name?"

"Hope" she introduced herself with a smile which he returned.

"Nice meeting you, I'm Naruto Uzumaki the future Hokage believe it!"

She started laughing, holding her belly and having to grip at the counter to not fall down the chair.

"What's so funny?" he asked suspiciously, almost anticipating that she was about to make fun about him too like everyone else.

"Haha nothing… I just like you. And you have a very cool dream. I hope you'll reach it someday. But why do you want to become Hokage?"

"If I'm Hokage then the people will finally acknowledge me! They will stop looking down on me, believe it!"

"Then I wish you good luck on your way. I'm sure that the time will come when everyone will respect and acknowledge you. You just have to never give up and never lose your dream out of your eyes. Follow it no matter what obstacles may be in your way. Fight for it no matter how hard it is. Promise me that you will never stop until you get there."

He looked at her a little confused while she told him that but then grinned. "I promise!"

"Well but for becoming Hokage you first have to become strong, Naruto" the old man said and put down the first bowl of ramen in front of him. His mouth instantly started to water again. "So dig in!"

"Thanks old man I sure will!" He rubbed his hands in anticipation, picked up a pair of chopsticks, separated them and then took the first bite.

"And how is it?" Hope asked beaming at him, gazing at the ramen.

"Delicious!" he answered with full mouth and noodles hanging out of his mouth, making her giggle. He slurped the noodles into his mouth and grinned at her.

He just found his very first friend.

* * *

**I know Sasuke is Naruto's first friend, but at that point they haven't meet yet and let's say Sasuke was Naruto's first "real" friend.  
**

**If you have an idea about who I should write, or in which situation, just tell me! I'm always open for suggestions.**


	11. Kakashi - Friends

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews!**

**Kakashi – Friends**

_How can I make sure no one notices me  
I don't wanna conversation with nobody  
And it hurts too much to say how I feel  
What you don't know, is all I know  
How can I make sure that I fool everyone  
Gonna wear a suit and tie and put my bravest face on (Gary Barlow – Dying inside)_

He walked through Konoha's streets, his nose buried in the book he hoped he would get some answers from.

"Heyo what are you reading?" a cheerful - too cheerful - voice asked. He lowered the book to glance at the very familiar blonde haired girl in the white dress standing in front of him, bouncing up and down on her heels, grinning widely. His face behind the mask remained stoic and he just held the cover out to her for her to read the title.

"What to do after your friend died…" she read it out loud and then frowned.

"And what does the book say? What should one do?"

He didn't answer her but stuck his nose back in the book, walked around her and continued his way. He wasn't in the mood for talking but of course she didn't care and instead followed him.

"How have you been since last time? Did you do any special exciting mission?"

He continued ignoring her and kept reading – well at least he tried but failed as he had to read the same sentence for the tenth time, still not getting it. The girl called Hope abstracted his attention as she babbled and babbled about random annoying things without taking a break.

"It's so sunny and warm today; the best weather to just lie in the sun and get tanner. You should try it once in a while Kakashi. Why are most of you ninjas so pale anyway? You definitely spend too much time inside."

"How are your ninja doggies doing? I haven't seen them in a while… By the way what are ninja animals doing in the time they aren't summoned? Are they in a different universe or so or just strolling around the world having fun?"

"I'm surprised that you for once don't read these naughty books. I hope you don't stop reading them though because I found them very interesting." She giggled. "Speaking of which, do you still not have a girlfriend? You should go out some times, flirt with a girl, and go on a date and stuff. You're attractive after all and I bet you'd be even more attractive if you put down that mask of yours once in a while. Why are you wearing it anyway? You even sleep with that damn thing on! Or is your face ugly underneath it? Someday I will make you show me your face just you wait…"

"Hey Kakashi!" He stopped and looked up since this voice didn't belong to the girl. He turned just to see Guy in his usual weird green spandex attire, the wide grin on his face and the terrible haircut running toward him. "How are you doing my friend? Do you by any chance have some free time to spare right now? I, Anko, Asuma and Kurenai are currently enjoying some sweet dangos and tea right over there." Guy pointed at a tea house and he could see Anko looking at them from under the sheets with a dango sticking out of her mouth.

"It would be cool if you could join us, you know… to enjoy the day, exchange some gossip-"

"I don't have time" he interrupted his talkative rival quickly. Actually he had time as today was his free day but he didn't have the urge to spend time with those guys or any persons whatsoever.

"Oh okay…" Disappointment and sadness flashed over Guy's face but he only rolled his eyes inwardly. It wasn't the first time Guy had asked him to join their stupid activities and he always had declined, thinking of some random excuses and lies he then told them. They probably knew that he was lying the whole time but neither of them said anything.

"Well in that case… Have a nice day Kakashi!" Guy laughed but it was clearly a faked laugh.

He just nodded, opened the book back up where he stopped reading and proceeded to continue his path.

"KAKASHI HATAKE!" He winced at the loud angry voice and stared at Hope with one wide eye. She stood in the middle of the street, right in his path, her hands on her hips, her knees slightly bend like in a battle stance and she looked at him angrily and furiously, her aura no longer warm and calming but ice cold.

"I had it with you, you unsocial lying ass! Look at them: They are your friends. They care for you. They want you to feel better but you… you only chase them away and stay in your dark gloomy corner. For how long do you want to continue like this? You have to stop it and start to move forward! This book in your hands won't help you if you continue to shut everything and everyone else out of your life!" He only stared at her throughout her rant and didn't move a single muscle. When she was finished she stared back at him through narrowed eyes.

Raising an eyebrow as to say _is this all?,_ he made a step forward and moved the book closer to his face.

"Oh forget it!" Hope hissed and before he knew it he suddenly felt her icy power grabbing his arm, turning him around and dragging him toward the tea shop. He tried his best to withstand her but she didn't let go. Guy only watched him pass by with wide eyes, open mouth and a dumb expression on his face.

Anko who had viewed the whole scene withdrew her head just in time as Hope almost threw him through the sheets and into the shop.

"Hey Kakashi, so you decided to join huh?" Asuma greeted him with a smirk and Kurenai who sat next to him smiled warmly.

"It's nice to see you Kakashi. It's been a while."

"That is truly a surprise. I wouldn't have thought weirdo being able to convince you joining us" Anko said with a laugh and hit him on the arm as a greeting.

He gazed over his shoulder but Hope was standing at the entrance of the shop, her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring at him and daring him to even try get past her. With a sigh he gave into his faith and sat down on the bench opposite to Asuma and Kurenai.

Guy who seemed to have recovered from the odd scene appeared behind him with his usual big grin, slinging his arm around his neck.

"See I told you Kakashi would join us!" Yeah although this is not your doing, he thought throwing yet another glance at his bodyguard.

"Hello guys, can I bring you something else?" a young waitress asked as she appeared at their table. She was a few centimeters smaller than him, had her brown hair bound in a ponytail, wore glasses, and the usual waitress uniform. She must be in their age.

"Yes for my friend here one dumpling and a cup of tea!" Guy ordered for him, winking at the girl who started to giggle. He felt her gaze on him and as he looked up she quickly averted her hazelnut-colored eyes, blushing.

"She is cute" Hope commented. "Remember how I told you that you need a girlfriend? Ask her out for a date. I'm sure she will agree." He ignored her and instead freed himself from Guy's grip. Anko slumped down on his right.

"For me another dango."

"You already had eight" Kurenai said sweat dropping but Anko just shrugged.

"One can never have enough of these sweet little things."

"So how is the ANBU going?" Asuma asked after the waitress had disappeared.

He shrugged. "Fine" was his sole reply.

"Are you coming to the festival in three days?" Guy asked, sitting down on his left side.

"No I probably will be on a mission."

"That's mean, giving you missions on the day of the almighty youthful festival!" Guy exclaimed.

"Hn."

"You don't even have a mission then do you?" Hope asked and he resisted the urge to scratch his neck where he felt her glare like the tip of a kunai.

She was right; he didn't have a mission yet but even if he'd have his day off he surely wouldn't go on a stupid festival.

"Why not? This is exactly what you need now: An opportunity to get some other thoughts in your square head!" He ignored her.

The waitress came back, gave Anko her dumpling and placed his own plate and cup in front of him, all the time with a blush on her cheeks and a shy look in her eyes.

"Ask her out ask her out ask her out ask her out!" Hope repeated from behind him like a broken recorder. He did his best to ignore her irritating voice.

"Eh by the way… my name is… I mean… I'm Mei."

"Ask her out ask her out ask her out ask her out!"

"It's nice to meet you Mei! I'm Might Guy the blue beast of Konoha!"

"Yeah I don't think she told _you_ her name" Kurenai said.

Anko boxed him in the side hard. "Come on don't be so shy… Introduce yourself" she joked.

He gazed at the girl. "Kakashi Hatake." If possible she became even redder.

"That's a nice name."

"Ask her out ask her out ask her out ask her out!"

"Are you going to the festival, Kakashi?"

"Of course he's coming!" Anko yelled before he could even open his mouth.

"That's cool… Eh would you mind coming with me? I mean I know it's a little bit rushed, we don't even know each other and I'm sorry but I don't have a partner yet… Or do you already have someone with whom you will go there?" she added and he could see it in her eyes that she feared the answer.

"Nah he is single" Anko once again answered for him and the girl smiled in relief.

"I won't come" he stated coldly. The relief, joy and happiness immediately changed into sadness and hurt. She let her head hung, but nodded and smiled a horrible faked smile.

"O-Of course" she mumbled and turned to hurry back into the kitchen. When he looked around he saw the others stare at him angrily and accusingly. Even Hope was silent. What? It was them who gave the poor girl hope instead of letting him reject the offer right away.

"Mei wait!" the words left his lips before he could gulp them down. The girl stopped but didn't turn.

"She probably doesn't want you to see her tears" Hope's words were completely emotionless but for some reason they jabbed directly into his heart.

"I…" He struggled with the right words to say. Everything was dead silent in the shop; no one even dared to breath and he was strangely nervous. "I'm sorry I was so rude. Can I make it up to you in leading you to the festival?"

She whirled around, staring at him with big eyes. "Really?" she whispered. She didn't cry; her cheeks were dry though her brown eyes glistered from held back tears.

"Meet you at six pm in front of the festival gates in three days." He smiled and surprisingly it wasn't even faked.

* * *

**To be continued...  
**


	12. Konan - Cold friend

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews! I'm always happy to receive feedback.**

**Konan – Cold friend**

_Before you give up, think of the reason why you hold on so long. _

She stood by her friends side; strong, confident and protecting. Even though she wasn't quite used to the fact seeing Nagato in this machine with the chakra spears running through his back she knew how important this and their new mission was to him. And she would be there, supporting him like the pillar she was, supporting the bridge of their dream he would create.

The stone wall lifted up and then a figure walked in.

Her eyes widened in shock. Her heart sped up before it threatened to stop, her throat went dry, her legs turned to jelly. He looked so real and yet so different. The spiky orange hair, his facial features, the protective strong statue… but he was so cold. His face held no emotion whatsoever, the always present carefree laugh was gone; the piercings reflected the peaks of light shining through the opening, and the ringed eyes gazed hard and cold into her amber ones. Her long friend had turned cold like the corpse he now only was.

Suddenly her stomach knotted together, she felt sick and had to fight against the urge to throw up. This wasn't right… That wasn't him… It was only a corpse, a dead body that was moved around like a marionette, controlled by Nagato's chakra. This was not her friend anymore. This was not Yahiko.

She couldn't bring herself to look into these emotionless eyes or to even look at his body. She had watched him die, watched him sacrificing his life in order to save theirs but to see his body now in front of her, moving and walking around once again was too much to handle for her.

"Konan…?" Nagato's soft concerned voice reached her ears but it sounded dull and from far, far away. "Are you okay?" She just nodded numbly.

Nothing war okay. If this was Nagato's plan, if it included using Yahiko's body like a puppet… she didn't know if she could handle seeing him every day, to look into his cold emotionless eyes and pretend like nothing had happened.

"Nagato… may you excuse me? I… I need some fresh air" she managed to croak out. She couldn't stay here for a second longer. She had to get out, out of this corpse's sight!

Blurry she saw her friend nod his head and quickly she rushed toward the exit. But that meant passing _him_. She tried to not look at him and to avoid his eyes but still felt his intense stare on her. Shivering she wanted to sling her arms around her body in a protective manner but she wasn't allowed to show weakness.

So she looked up and met the Rinnegan. The formerly emotionless gaze was now full with concern. Still it wasn't the concern she was used from seeing in this familiar face. These were Nagato's eyes and thus Nagato's concern.

After all Yahiko was dead. He could never express his concern again.

She had made it past the corpse and hurried out of the cave and into the cold outside. Quickly putting up some distance between her and the cave she finally leaned against a weak small tree, gripping at the bark and holding on to it to not fall into the mud.

The rain fell down on her like a curtain and mixed with her salty tears. She brought her hand up and put it on her heart. It hurt, hurt so much.

Suddenly she felt something touch her back. Alerted she whirled around, papers already loosening from her body.

Her eyes widened though as she saw the young girl stand in front of her. Despite the rain her hair and dress looked completely dry. A smile was on her lips.

"Hello" the girl greeted her. She was too taken back. What was that girl doing here? The hideout was in a deserted bare area in Rain Country. There was no life present in a radius of several kilometers. Even the animals avoided this region.

The girl titled her head to the side. "You look like you just have seen a ghost. Are you feeling alright?"

A picture of the dead Yahiko came back in her mind and she gasped, the knot in her stomach tightening right away. She probably should go back before Nagato would start worrying about her but her legs refused to even take one step, shaking by just the thought of going back in there.

She felt the curious eyes of the girl on her and turned so that she couldn't see the glistering tears she was about to spill, the trembling of her lips, the fear in her eyes.

Again she felt this warm touch on her back.

"It is okay" the girl mumbled with a comforting voice. She looked over her shoulder, meeting these bright blue eyes. She was drawn into this gaze, this innocent strong gaze, determined to face the world head on. She couldn't look away from these blue eyes and listened closely to every word the girl said.

She also had borne those eyes once, back when she was a little girl. Now her best friend was gone, she was struck with sorrow and sadness and desperation and was too weak to even face Nagato's new path – because it reminded her that the boy she loved was now nothing more than a cold body.

"You know, just because someone died doesn't mean he is actually dead. Humans live in bodies but their real core is their soul. And if someone dies, then the body might turn cold, but the soul is still there. After death it's free from its restriction, free to fly around, free to go wherever it wants to go to. And the soul continues to live on as long as someone still thinks about this person, keeps the feelings in the heart, and cherishes the shared memories. People don't die that easily. Not if we don't allow them to die."

Dumbfounded she just stared at the little girl, the girl that reminded her so much of herself.

"That girl is still inside of you" she continued, as reading her thoughts. "This confident strong little girl… I can still feel her inside of you, wanting to guide you. You are a strong woman, but you have to leave sadness behind and instead move forward. You still have a friend left who you have to protect, to support, don't you? Don't give up on your path. Don't throw everything away you worked so hard on to accomplish.

Your dead friend… I'm sure he now looks over you and pushes you forward." As on cue she looked around, looking for Yahiko's familiar grinning face.

She felt something touch her hand and saw the girl holding her hands in her own little small ones.

"Your friend, the redhead, he is waiting for you, he needs you now." Her voice was soft, caring, warm. And suddenly she felt the weight being lifted off her soul, felt the hurting pressure on her heart go away, felt the old gaze of her younger self return to her eyes.

She nodded at the girl. "Thank you" she whispered. The girl only smiled brightly and she smiled back in return.

Suddenly her legs weren't shaking anymore when she made the first step back to the hideout. She was confident to face him. The girl was right: Yahiko's body might be dead and cold now, but his soul still accompanied them. They still were the three Ame orphans. They would take back this land, would lead it to peace like they always had wanted to: The three of them, together.

Before she was about to enter the cave, she looked back to see the girl standing in the pouring rain but with a big smile on her lips, waving after her cheerfully.

When she entered the cave, with a small smile on her lips, she instantly felt Nagato's concerned eyes on her.

"Konan, are you alright?" he asked softly. She walked past the new path and stopped at the side of the machine, next to her friend, smiling at him.

"Yes, I'm fine" she answered and placed her hand on his arm. "Let's do this, Nagato." And when she turned around and looked at the body, she saw for only an instant Yahiko standing there, his hands behind his back, laughing loudly.

* * *

**Please review!  
**


	13. Menma - Redemption

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews! **

**This chapter is for Weirdnfreaky. It's about Menma from the filler episodes 213-215 from Naruto. I recommend watching them because in my opinion they were actually quite good, especially the ending which was touching sad.**

**Menma - Redemption**

_We are not given a good life or a bad life. We are given life. And it's up to you to make it good or bad._

"I can't believe it" he mumbled, staring wide eyed at his shaking hands. "I'm… I'm a monster." He remembered it, remembered all of it: The village, the screams, the burning houses, the corpses… He was a bandit, a filthy thief, a murderer. It had all come back to him when he saw the fire in the hospital…

The jutsu hadn't worked. He had wanted to forget all of these memories forever, wanted to start a new life, to help people…

"You're the one who saved that baby from the fire, right?" He looked up, his eyes still wide in shock, to see a girl standing in front of him, smiling down at him. Numbly he nodded. He saved her, but destroyed so many other lives.

"Y-Yes."

Cross-legged she sat down on the grass opposite to him. "I'm sure the mother really appreciates what you have done. Without your help the child would be dead now."

"Probably" he only mumbled, once again looking down at his hands, the hands of a bandit.

…

"Sometimes, erasing one's memories might be really tempting to redeem the past and start over from a blank page but there are also other ways to do so."

Shocked and surprised he stared at her. How did she know?

"Just because you were a bandit in the past, doesn't mean that you have to continue being one. You can still start a new life, walk forward, change your being, lock your past into a closet and throw away the key. After all you found a new home and some new friends here in Konoha. That's a start, don't you think?"

He looked down. Somehow he knew that the girl was right. He could still start from zero, pretending that he didn't regain his memories in front of the others. But no, he had to go back to the village first. He knew of Shiin's plans, knew of the danger threatening the village. He couldn't allow any more persons to die.

Of course he knew that if he would go back, the other villagers would recognize him sooner or later as one of the bandits. They would brandish him, punish him, and probably even want his death.

Still… He had to go.

The girl nodded. "You see, you are already starting a new life in helping and saving people instead of turning your back. And if the villagers see your new side, they even might forgive you. Who knows?" She smiled encouragingly.

"Hey there you are!" he suddenly heard Naruto yell as the ninja came running to them. "I wanted to treat you to ramen!"

The girl winked at him, stood up and then hopped away.

He looked after her with a small smile. She was right. He got a new chance and he would take it. From now on, he would help other people and try to make their lives better and easier.

"What are you doing here? I searched all over for you" Naruto said as he jumped down next to him. "Come on, the ramen is waiting!"

* * *

Light snoring told him that Naruto and Tenten, his supposed guards, were fallen asleep.

Finally, he thought and pushed himself up. Immediately pain shot through his body and he groaned, wobbling on his shaky legs.

"Are you sure leaving is a good idea in your condition?" Shocked he lost his footing and fell down on his butt. The girl he met in Konoha sat cross-legged next to the mat, looking at him with a frown.

"I have no other choice" he whispered to not wake up the others. Warily he eyed the girl. "Please don't try to stop me."

"Oh I won't. I just wanted to remind you that you received a fatal blow to your chest, and are now all wrapped up in bandages and barely standing. So what are you planning to do?"

Her voice was so loud that he threw a concerned gaze at the two ninjas. "Don't worry they don't hear or see me. You're the only one who can." She smiled brightly at him while he scrambled back on his feet. Who the hell was she? _What_ was she? But he could try to get the answers later, now he had more important things to do.

Silently and bare-footed he stepped to the door, slid it open and left the house. The chilly night air made him shiver as he didn't wear a shirt, only the bandages covering up the wound in his chest.

Wavering and groaning in pain he pushed himself forward, walking through the silent village and to the ruins across the stream. Sweat collected on his forehead and he panted heavily.

"Eh you know that the villagers are watching you? And they don't look friendly…" the girl trailed off as he gripped one of the logs with shaky hands, hoisted it up and carried it to the unfinished part of the wall. But he hadn't even taken three steps when the strength left him and he stumbled to the ground. He closed his eyes as wave after wave of pain rolled through his body. His muscles screamed in protest. A sweat drop ran down his chin. No, he couldn't give up now. The wall had to be finished. He had to protect this village.

"Jeez you'll pass out like this before you manage to take even one more step. Here, let me help you." Suddenly he felt something warm touch his back. With a rush the energy came back to his limbs, the pain was pushed aside and he found the strength to stand up, his hands still clutched around the log, and walked to the gate of the wall. Putting the log into the hole in the ground he bound it with a length of rope. While doing so this strange warm energy flowed through his system and kept him from collapsing.

"I did it" he said proudly and smiled. The girl coughed from beside him loudly but before he could thank her, a stone hit him.

He turned to see the village girl Fuki standing there, another stone already in her hands, staring at the ground terrified and about to spill tears.

"There he is get him!" Another stone hit him and he fell to his knees. The villagers left their hiding and ran toward him, anger on their faces.

"Wait, stop!" the girl yelled and stood in front of his crouching body in an attempt to shield him but the next stone just flew right through her like she wouldn't even be there.

"He is trying to save your village can't you see it?" The villagers only raised their weapons and kept shouting. "Oh yeah right they can't hear me… Dammit!" Suddenly instead of the girl, Naruto stood in front of him, shielding him like the girl did just seconds before.

Naruto tried to calm the mob down, but a volley of stones was the only reaction he got from the angrily shouting villagers.

Sadly he looked down on the ground. "I'm fine. Go. They have every right to be angry. I'm to blame. I deserve all of this." It was his fault. He had been one of those attacking the village. He watched people getting killed. He ran away instead of helping. He did nothing as this man, Fuki's father, died.

Did he really think he could redeem his mistakes by starting all over again? How foolish… He could never make up for the terrible things he did. He deserved to die.

"Stop it right there!" the girl yelled. Surprised he looked up. She stood in front of him, with the stones flying through her though she didn't even seem to notice it. "Nobody deserves to die! You made mistakes, but people do them every day. You regret your actions, you try to live up for them, you want to save this village now. We are good or bad based by our actions and your current actions are good. Don't blame yourself for everything. The attack wasn't your fault, you didn't kill anyone, you saved this little girl and you came back even though you knew what'd await you. You are not a bad person, okay?" She smiled at him.

Suddenly arrows hit the wood of the draw-bridge on which they were standing on. They were here. Shiin and the bandits…

"Save this village" the girl said softly, winked at him and then disappeared. He sat there for a moment, blinking, before he turned to Naruto.

"The draw-bridge… Raise the draw-bridge!" He wouldn't let anyone get hurt anymore!

* * *

Naruto hurried to the mine while carrying him on the back. Shiin would explode the dam in any moment, flooding the village in the process. But if he'd set off all the paper bombs inside the mine, then the explosions would cause the mountain to collapse, to move, and to block the water!

"You are planning on sacrificing yourself to light the paper bombs…" He winced and saw the girl running beside them, right next to Naruto without the ninja noticing. Seems like she really was only visible to him…

He didn't say anything but lowered his gaze. He had to do it. If he wouldn't, then Shiin would destroy the village and kill everyone inside. And this way this stupid mine would finally be destroyed once and for all. He wanted it. He wanted to at least do something good before he died, to save people instead of hurting them.

"I understand." The girl smiled at him. "But if you are going to die, don't you think you owe Naruto an explanation? And the truth?"

He looked down at the back of blond hair. Naruto had been the one saving him. He had treated him like a friend right away, gave him his name, and defended him in front of the villagers…

"Eh Naruto… There's something I need to tell you."

And so he told him. Everything. He told him that he actually was a bandit, told him his past with Shiin and the gang, told him of what happened that night of the attack, told him that he remembered everything since the fire.

"Naruto thank you." After Naruto's short outrage he simply placed his flute in his friend's hands. It was the only regret he had, that he couldn't stay with Naruto any longer, to eat another ramen, clean the Hokage monuments or trim the grass in front of elderly's homes together with him.

The girl stood beside him, smiling sadly.

"Why are you giving me…?" Naruto looked at him confused.

"Because this is good-bye. Somebody has to set off the paper bombs inside the mine. Thanks to you and your friends Naruto, my life is going to mean something." With that he gripped his friend and threw him off the cliff. Sadly and apologetic he watched Naruto fall before turning to the mine.

"You should stay here" he said to the girl, halting at the entrance but she shook her head.

"No, I'll stay with you until the very end. Don't worry, I'm already dead." He didn't question her any further but entered the mine with her by his side.

After placing all the paper bombs on the tunnel walls surrounding him he leaned against the wall, panting heavily. From far away he heard the explosion as the dam broke. The earth shook by the mass of water crashing down the river.

The girl put her hand on his side and instantly he again felt the warmth giving him new energy.

Nodding thankfully at her he strengthened up and formed the first hand sign but before he finished the jutsu, he looked at the girl.

"I never actually got your name…"

"Oh it's Hope!" She smiled brightly, showing him her white teeth. He nodded, smiling back.

"Thank you." And then he set the sheets on fire.

"So long my friends… Naruto, Hope…"

Everything around him exploded.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Please review!**


	14. Hinata - Strength

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews!**

**Hinata - Strength**

_You've got a heart as_  
_loud as lions so why let_  
_your voice be tamed? (Read all about it - Emeli Sandé)_

She was sitting on a patch of grass, ripping out one blade of grass after another. The shadows around her grew larger, the sun almost disappeared behind the roofs of the houses and people hurried home to eat dinner.

But she stayed, like she had stayed here the rest of the day. She couldn't go home. She didn't dare to. She was afraid to!

She had snapped her ankle two days ago while training with Hanabi. The doctors told her she should better stay in hospital and rest but her father sent Ko to bring her out of the hospital and back to the compound. Her father didn't trust anyone outside the clan to take care of the heiress.

And then she had heard them talk today, or rather her father complaining over her.

_"__She snapped her ankle clumsily while tripping over her own feet. An heiress is supposed to be graceful in her moves and not to hurt herself that easily. How can we show our strength when the future leader gets constantly hurt?"_

_"__Lord Hiashi, Lady Hinata is still young. I'm sure that this won't happen again."_

_"__Of course it will! Just look at Hanabi. She is younger but already moves with the gracious and fearlessness of a real leader. She never snapped her ankle!"_

_"__I am sure that Lady Hinata tries her best to please you and to live up to her duties as an heiress."_

_"__Don't try to stand up for her. Your sole duty is to protect her and to keep her from having another accident. I let you go this time because it was only my daughter's clumsiness' fault, but don't let her hurt herself another time. As the heiress she has to stay well and healthy."_

_"__Yes of course, forgive me Lord Hiashi."_

At that point she had run away. Run away from the compound, from her father, from her duties as the next heiress.

Why was she so weak? Why couldn't she be strong like her father, or sister, or like Neji? Why did she have to stumble over her own two feet?

Tears dwelled up in her milky white eyes. She was sure that if she wouldn't have been the Hyuuga heiress, she wouldn't even have made it into the academy. She was just too weak. She would never be a good shinobi.

"Hey you… What are you crying about?" Her head snapped up and she stared at the girl standing in front of her, smiling at her.

She was so weak she hadn't even sensed her coming! More tears dwelled up, ran down her cheeks and dropped to the ground. If her father would see her now… Showing weakness in front of a civilian… She could almost see his disappointed face, making her cry even more.

The girl sat down next to her, putting a hand on her back. "It's okay to cry" she said softly. Strange comforting warmth came from her touch. "But only as long as you will stop."

"I-I c-can't c-c-cry" she stuttered in between sobs. "I-It o-only s-s-shows h-how weak I-I am."

"Now why would you think you're weak?"

"B-Because I-I'm clumsy, a-a-and n-not strong l-like o-other n-n-ninja. I'm a-a disgrace f-for m-my clan."

"Strength is not always about who is the strongest. Strength is much more. True strength is found in your heart: Your feelings, your determination, your resolve…"

"B-But-"

"Right now you remind me of a kitty but after some time a kitty grows into a cat, ready to claw at any enemy. And let's not forget that kittens are related to lions."

She shook her head sadly. "I-I don't t-think I w-will ever b-become a-a-a l-lion. I will n-never b-b-be as s-strong as Neji or my s-sister."

"Maybe… or maybe not. You will never know unless you try."

She looked at the strange girl: The blonde hair, the white dress, and the bright blue eyes. She never saw that girl before but somehow she felt save in her presence. She knew she could trust her.

"W-Who are you?"

The girl smiled brightly. "My name's Hope! And who are you?"

"H-Hinata Hyuga" she said a little shy and with a small smile.

"It's nice to meet you Hinata! Now wipe those tears away and face the world with a roar!" Hope jumped to her feet and bumped her fist into the air, making her giggle.

"Don't worry Hinata, I will help you. I will turn you into a lion."

"Y-You will o-only w-waste y-y-your time w-with me" she mumbled and sadness once again came crashing down on her. That girl was nice and she didn't want to disappoint her too.

"I don't think so and even if you stay a kitty, I'm sure it will be fun nonetheless!" Hope winked at her encouraging.

"Lady Hinata!" Her eyes widened and she looked around to see Ko running to her. "Finally I found you Lady Hinata. Where have you been all the time? Your father told you not to leave the compound without supervision." She let her head hang.

"I-I'm sorry" she whispered, making her guard sigh.

"Well your father wishes to see you. He wants you to pick up training if your ankle is healed." She nodded even though her ankle still hurt but she wouldn't show any weakness.

Hope still stood there, following the conversation silently. She just wanted to ask Ko if Hope could come too but the girl interrupted her: "Listen Hinata, it's slightly complicated but I don't have a real body and you're the only person who can see me. The others don't know that I am here."

She was confused but nodded in understanding and closed her mouth right away.

"Let's go Lady Hinata." Ko smiled to try and cheer her up but she only looked at Hope who walked with them to the compound.

Her father and Hanabi already awaited them in the training room.

"Hinata, where have you been?" her father asked right away, his eyes narrowing. "I think I told you not to leave the compound alone, didn't I? What if something happens to you? We were worried about you."

She bowed her head. "I'm s-sorry f-father."

Suddenly she felt so bad about running away. She didn't want to worry them.

"It's okay" Hope told her from the side. "Sometimes running away is the only option to escape pressure and to get the head free. You don't have to feel bad about it." Instantly it felt like a weight had been lifted off her soul. She was thankful for Hope's words.

"Are you ready to continue training?" her father asked her, glancing at the still bandaged ankle. She nodded, looking in her father's eyes with as much determination as she could muster, ignoring the slight pain coming from her foot.

"I-I'm ready."

"Good. Hanabi" he called out and stepped to the side. Instead, her sister walked up to oppose her. Both girls went into battle stance. Their fists flew, chakra became visible.

"More fiercely! Hit her with all you got!" Her father's voice growled.

"Step to the side, keep her occupied, make her think that she is in an advantage, make her feel save before you strike.

"Don't be soft! Don't take pity!"

She probably shouldn't do it but she completely blocked out her father's strict and judging voice and only concentrated on Hope.

"Duck! Now strike her in the back." Hanabi stumbled after her fist had hit her back. Surprised the younger sister turned around. Hope cheered next to her. She herself couldn't believe that she just managed to strike her sister. Normally it was always the other way around. Even her father was silent.

She went back into battle stance and faced her sister with new found courage.

You are a lion, she repeated over and over in her head. You are a lion. You are strong.

* * *

**IMPORTANT NOTE! I will leave this weekend for a three-week-trip so I won't update for at least three weeks!**


	15. Deidara - Prank

**I'm back! Woot woot! I just survived three weeks of too much heat, having a flat ****tyre****in the middle of the desert at night, almost-collisions with elephants, ATM's that suck in your credit card, drinking non-clean water, camping under trees in a thunder, closed campsites and borders, driving on very bad roads (at night), sleep-deprivation, corrupt police … But that trip was so freaking awesome! Anyways, I know it's more than three weeks now, but last week I couldn't update because I had no real internet. **

**Thanks to Weirdnfreaky and Inanari for the reviews. I hope you survived my break ;)**

**To Weirdnfreaky: Don't worry, I will do more chapters about Sasuke (probably). But I almost forgot Haku and Zabuza! *Gasp!* I will definately think about something! Thanks for reminding me.**

**Here comes the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Deidara - Prank**

_Shut up, shut up, shut up_

_Don't wanna hear it_

_Get out, get out, get out_

_Get out of my way_

_Step up, step up, step up_

_You'll never stop me_

_Nothing you say today_

_Is gonna bring me down (Shut Up – Simple Plan)_

Damn Uchiha! Damn Sharingan! Damn arrogant asshole!

Cursing constantly in his mind he paced up and down his new room in the Akatsuki hideout. In his hand he molded some clay while imagining the bomb exploding right in the bastard's face!

He would show him what true art is!

"You seem very upset. What happened?" He whirled around just to find that little brat Hope sitting on his bed with her legs crossed.

He snarled. "Uchiha happened, un" he growled. The girl looked at him questioningly.

"What?"

"That damn bastard challenged me to a fight" he explained, still pacing back and forth, working on the bomb. "I had to enter Akatsuki if I lost. But he tricked me with his stupid Sharingan, un! And now I'm stuck in that damn organization."

"Oh… But maybe it's not that bad."

"It's horrible! My art was ridiculed by that bastard, un! During all these years I trained to get stronger but he didn't even break a sweat while defeating me, un. He did it like it was nothing!" He almost yelled by now but he didn't care. He had some steam to blow and just wanted to destroy something, to reduce it to art.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself Deidara" Hope stated. "There is always someone who is better than you are. Instead, you should think about all the people who are inferior to you and continue on surpassing as many people as possible." She gave him a thumps up.

"Yeah you are right. That damn Uchiha won't defeat me twice. I will train to never fall under his stupid genjutsu ever again!"

"That's the spirit! Now where are we again?" she asked with a confused expression, looking around.

He halted in his pace for a moment, glancing at her. "Akatsuki hideout, un" he simply answered.

"Oh. Would you mind showing me around?"

"Actually I should train to become resistant to-"

"Please please please pretty please?" She gave him the puppy eyes and he sighed.

"Fine, un."

"Wohoo thanks Dei!"

"I told you to stop calling me that, un!" he growled angrily but she only giggled and disappeared through the door.

Cursing under his breath he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway where she already hopped up and down impatiently. Without a word he passed her and started walking down the hallway, with her following him eagerly.

"Are we in a cave?"

"Yeah un. That hideout is freaking big, it goes all under the mountain. It's pretty easy to get lost down here."

"Who are you **talking to?"** He jumped slightly and turned to face Zetsu who stuck out of the wall, eyeing him curiously with his yellow eyes.

"No one" he grumbled.

"Maybe he has also a split personality. **I don't think so.** But that would be interesting. Then we wouldn't be the only ones. **Yes but I couldn't care less. Maybe he is just going insane. **Probably an aftereffect of the Sharingan..."

"Hey I'm right fucking here!" he yelled but Zetsu just ignored him as he disappeared back into the wall. Hope stared at the spot where he just had been with an open mouth.

"Whoa that was cool…"

"I don't know what's so interesting about that plant freak, un" he grumbled in irritation. Zetsu's appearance just did the opposite of lifting his gloomy mood.

She giggled. "Are you jealous…?" she teased him.

"Shut up, un" he growled and then pushed the door to the kitchen open. He froze in the doorway. There, sitting upright, like he was better than everyone else, his fucking eyes closed, _he_ sat at the kitchen table, that damn Uchiha bastard. Instantly his blue eyes narrowed in hatred.

"Hey don't block the entrance! Move it!" Hope yelled from behind him and he felt her energy push into his back, making him stumble into the room. Itachi's eyes instantly snapped open and flickered shortly over to him before going back to the tea pot that he was holding.

"Who's that?" Hope asked pointing at Itachi.

"Uchiha" Deidara only grumbled, still glaring at the young man, the man who had tricked him and brought him here.

"Hn" was the only way the Uchiha acknowledged his presence.

"So that's the one you're so angry with?" Hope asked frowning and sat down on the chair opposite to Itachi, examining the guy exactly.

He only rolled his eyes and stepped to the table to sit down on Hope's right side.

"He doesn't look that threatening." Yeah well looks could deceive. In the beginning he also had thought that he could win easily against Itachi but then had made the mistake to look into these stupid red eyes. He would just love to blast them out of their sockets.

"You really are down because of that, huh?" Frowning she looked at his dark expression before her face lit up. "I know! I will cheer you up with some pranks!"

He frowned. Pranks?

"Yep! The fact that only you can see me has to be good for something." She then crawled onto the table until she was directly in front of the Uchiha, and stuck her tongue out to him. Taken back, his eyes widened as Hope started to make faces, wiggled her butt, and made funny noises… in front of fucking Itachi Uchiha… without the self-proclaimed genius even noticing.

It was too much. First his lips twitched and then he burst out into loud laughter after she just had mimicked holding an invisible tea pot, with her chin held high, throwing back her long hair.

Irritated Itachi's gaze shifted to him. "Is something the matter?"

He only continued laughing as Hope stood now next to Itachi, mouthing his words with as many emotions as possible crossing her face. Imagining them to appear on the Uchiha's face was too much. He held his belly as it started to hurt from the intense laughter, trying to catch his breath, but Hope wasn't done yet.

"You know I would love to paint his blank face… A moustache, thick eyelashes, red cheeks, a big smile… what do you think Dei?" He stopped laughing and instead stared at the Uchiha, imagining how it would look like and then laughed some more. "Or what about lipstick, rouge, mascara?" Hope continued cheerfully. By now he had to grip on the table plate for support but as she proceeded to rant about beauty tips, he lost his balance and fell down from the chair and continued his laughing fit on the floor.

"The problem is his eyes… and to find the perfect eye shadow that fits with his normal black orbs as well as with his red Sharingan. Mhm what do you think Dei? Dei?" With tears in his eyes he saw Hope poking her nose over the edge of the table, grinning down at him.

"What are you doing down there Dei?"

He just shook his head, gasping for breath.

"What the Hell is going on here?" a sudden deep voice growled. Wiping away his laughing tears he cranked his head to see, from his position on the floor, an upside down bulky puppet staring at him with narrowed eyes.

He just grinned. "Hey danna, un" and scrambled back on his feet chuckling.

"Come on brat, Leader gave us a mission. I don't want to keep him waiting so let's hurry" he growled in his ever impatient voice.

"Yeah yeah I'm coming…" Not even the puppeteer's ever cranky mood could bring him down now. He was about to follow Sasori when his blue eyes once again fell on the Uchiha who looked back at him, frowning in irritation, his black eyes as cold as ever. But he only saw the emotionless killer painting his face like a woman which erupted new laughter from his throat.

"Don't forget to dress him up…"

"Hahahahaha!"

"You're killing me" he mumbled to Hope in between laughter.

"Come on brat!" Holding his hurting belly and with teary eyes he followed his danna out, leaving an utterly confused Itachi behind.

* * *

**I'm sorry for making fun of Itachi like that. I hope you were still amused.**


	16. Konoha 9 - Christmas Special

**I actually wanted to update this chapter during the Christmas days, but I didn't get down to it so I do it now with some delay.**

**Konoha 9 - Christmas Special**

_This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone (Taylor Caldwell)_

"How do you guys plan to celebrate Christmas today?" Kiba suddenly asked. Konoha's new eight genin – Sasuke wasn't present – were standing together under a roof next to the park, watching the first snowflakes fly to the ground.

"I'll celebrate it with my parents" Sakura answered, rolling her eyes. "Like every year. I hoped I could celebrate it together with Sasuke this year since we're now teammates, but my mother won't let me. Saying it's a family thing and stuff" she grumbled.

"Yeah it's really a drag" Sikamaru said with a sigh and grimaced. "My mum never lets me go either. I don't understand how people can look forward to Christmas when they have to spend it with their scary mum." He shuddered.

"At least our families spend Christmas this year together" Choji said with full mouth, grinning. "We'll celebrate the new Ino-Shika-Cho-trio with lots of food!"

"Well, not for me. I made a vow to myself that I will lose weight during the Christmas days. I hate Christmas. It only makes you fat." In dissatisfaction Ino looked at her slim belly.

"I also will celebrate Christmas with my family" Shino began with his quiet voice, his hands like usual in the pockets of his cloak and his face covered by the sunglasses and high collar. "We have planned to-"

"Sakura, do you remember this outfit I told you about?" Ino interrupted him. "My parents promised to buy it for me as a present. It just looks so gorgeous!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes as Ino now started to rant about the clothes. Shino had turned away sulking.

"N-Naruto" Hinata started when Ino had to take a breath, "w-what are you going to do t-today?"

He hesitated with the answer. Same as usual… Being alone in his empty apartment, playing cards with his shadow clones, eating a cup of instant ramen, maybe meeting Iruka-sensei later at Ichiraku's…

"Ah I'm busy, very busy…" He grinned as best as he could.

"Oh ok…" Hinata mumbled and stared down at her fumbling fingers, a slight red painting her cheeks.

"I better should go now" Sakura said frowning. "My mum wants to bake some cookies and I have to help her." She didn't sound happy about it.

"Yeah I also should better go." Shiakamru stretched his stiff limbs and yawned. "Don't want to make my mum angry."

The others nodded and one by one they all left.

"N-Naruto, if y-you w-want I-I could s-stay with you a-a l-l-little longer." Hinata was the only one still there.

"Nah it's alright. I also have to go, gotta meet Iruka-sensei at Ichiraku's for ramen he's going to treat me."

"Oh okay…"

"Why are you lying to her?" He jumped and whirled around with a shriek. Hope stood behind him, glaring at him accusingly.

"N-Naruto is… is s-something the m-matter?" He turned to Hinata again who now looked at him concerned.

"No, no everything's fine. So merry Christmas Hinata, see you!" Quickly, still feeling Hope's glare on his back, he turned and jumped over the roofs toward his dark apartment.

"Why did you lie to her?" Hope asked once again. He still didn't answer because he didn't know the answer himself. He really would have liked to stay with Hinata for a little longer. Even though he thought that the shy violet-haired girl was strange with her stuttering, her constant playing with her fingers and mad blushing he did like her and enjoyed being in her presence.

So why did he lie? Why didn't he stay with her as long as he could, so long until she had to return to the Hyuuga compound, to her family?

Christmas was an event to be spent with one's family – which almost everyone did. But he didn't have a family. He didn't have anyone. He was alone.

"You're not alone." Hope stood behind him and he could feel her warmth as she touched his shoulder. "I can spend Christmas with you if you want."

His eyes widened. "Really? Don't you have anything else to do?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, it is fine. I can keep you company."

He was all smiles. "Alright then let's get ready for Christmas!" he yelled and burst into his apartment. Behind him Hope giggled but she stopped dead track when she saw the condition of his flat.

"Oh no forget it! If I shall stay with you then you have to clean up first." Accusingly she pointed at the empty ramen cups lying all over the ground, the overflowing garbage bags, the bugs crawling around, and the heaps of dirty clothes.

He groaned. "Can't you just pretend like it's completely clean?" He looked at her pleadingly but she only narrowed her eyes and stared back at him.

Finally he sighed. "Okay, okay…" he mumbled in defeat. "I'll start right away."

"Good boy. I'll come again as soon as you are finished." And with that she disappeared.

Naruto turned to the mess that was his room and sighed heavily. This would take some time…

* * *

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" He winced as all of a sudden Hope popped up right in front of him. He glared at her but of course that didn't help. She just sat down next to him, under the window in his apartment, with the back against the heater.

"You don't look like you are ready for Christmas…" Hope said frowning.

He couldn't care less for Christmas. It was just a stupid celebration. A _family_ thing…

He still remembered the last Christmas he had spent with his family, before the massacre. Back then he never would have thought that such a tragedy could even happen. Everyone had been happy. His mother had made delicious cookies which he couldn't get enough from. Itachi had smiled the whole time, warm and brightly. He even had presented him a set of kunais.

He had sworn that he would use the very same set to kill that bastard.

"Do you have any plans for this evening?" Hope asked. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?

"Hn" was his sole reply but she must have understood him.

"Great, because I know where you gonna be!"

* * *

"Sakura dear, can you pass me the flour please?" Without a comment she passed the flour. Her mother was happily making Christmas cookies, humming a Christmas carol while her dad popped his head once in a while into the kitchen to see if he could steal a cookie.

"Oh come on, don't make such a face!" her father said smiling after her mother once again had slapped his hand away. "It's Christmas, you should be happy." She only grumbled as an answer.

"I quickly place the garbage outside" she said and without waiting for a reply she grabbed the bag and hurried out of the flat.

Outside she breathed in the cold but clear air and watched her breath becoming visible. The sky was covered with grey and heavy snow clouds but it had stopped snowing for now. The streets and houses were illuminated by lights and Christmas decorations.

She just wanted to turn around and get back into the house, as suddenly a figure stood in her way.

"Hey there Sakura, how are you doing?"

"Hope?" she asked, surprised to see the little girl on her doorstep. The brightly shining figure in the white dress and with the golden hair nodded. In her attire she looked like an angel.

"Sakura, I need your help for something."

* * *

"Lady Hinata, the decorations have been placed!" Ko informed her. She smiled at him.

"Good, then we are finished." The compound shone with warm lights. Doors were decorated with wreaths; snowmen, stars and Santa Clauses made out of cardboard hang in the windows, the fresh snow covered the roofs and ground like sugar powder. It was magnificent.

"I'm sure father will like it when he returns from his mission."

"Hinata do you have a moment?" a voice asked from behind her.

"Sure" she replied and was about to turn around, with a smile on her lips.

"Did you say something Lady Hinata?" Ko asked her confused.

Looking over her shoulder she saw Hope standing behind her. Apparently the girl couldn't freeze as she was still dressed only in the white dress.

Realizing that Ko couldn't see the girl, she turned her head back to him. "I think that's everything for now, Ko. Thank you very much for your help, you might go now back to your family."

"Thank you very much Lady Hinata. I wish you a merry Christmas." He bowed and walked away.

"What is it, Hope?"

* * *

"So, ready!" Satisfied he stepped back to admire his work: His completely clean room. Grinning he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Good work Naruto, I'm proud of you!" Hope stood in the doorway like she never had left, grinning back at him.

"Now I really need some good ramen, believe it!" She laughed.

"Go on, you deserve it."

He grabbed one of the instant ramen cups and put it in the microwave. "I would love to go to Ichiraku's but until I'm there and the ramen is ready, I'll be starved, believe it!"

Hope only chuckled. "I don't think you would starve that easily" she said with a wink.

At the ping he removed the cup and dug in with drooling mouth.

"Delicious!" he exclaimed with full mouth, making Hope laugh.

"Have you ever eaten something else than ramen?"

"Not much, but why should I when ramen is the best meal in the whole world!"

The ramen was finished far too soon, leaving him still hungry. "I probably should go to Ichiraku's now, maybe Iruka is there too" he thought out loud while throwing the empty cup in the bin.

Hope had opened her mouth to say something when there was a knock at the door.

He frowned. He didn't expect any visitors. Who was it?

"You will know when you open" Hope said with a smirk. Sometimes he really hated the fact that she was able to read his thoughts. "Maybe it's Santa!"

Still pondering about who might visit him at Christmas Eve, he opened the door – just to find himself in front of all of his former class mates.

His blue eyes grew wide like saucers.

"Guys… w-what are you doing here?" he asked totally baffled and taken back.

"What kind of question is that?" Ino asked. "We came here for the Christmas party of course!"

"Christmas party? What Christmas party?" he asked completely confused.

"Sakura told me to meet up at your house so that we can celebrate Christmas all together. After all we didn't have a proper genin party yet" Ino answered.

"I was informed by Hinata" Kiba answered with a smirk and slang an arm around the blushing kunoichi.

"K-Kiba!"

"Well Naruto, don't you want to invite us in?" Sakura asked. "It's cold outside."

"O-Of course" he answered in a stutter as soon as he found his voice. Numbly he stepped aside and the eight youths stepped in.

"What are you doing here teme?!" he yelled when he saw Sasuke in the group. The young Uchiha had his hands like usual in the pockets of his pants with that I'm-to-good-for-you expression on his face.

"I was invited and I came. Do you have a problem with that dobe?"

"Shut it Naruto!" Sakura yelled and hit him over the head. "It's Christmas, the day of love. Don't ruin it!"

"I don't ruin anything! He ruins it with his presence, believe it!"

"Deal with it" Shikamaru said and slumped down on Naruto's bed. "I'm just so glad that I was able to escape my mum. Christmas is so troublesome."

"Do you have any food here Naruto?" Choji who just finished one bag of potato chips asked.

"Oh yeah I brought some cookies which my mum made" Sakura said and placed a box on the table.

"I-I b-brought also s-something" Hinata shyly said and put down a bowl. "A-And this i-is for you N-Naruto." She pulled out a small present and gave it to him.

Choji pulled another bag of chips from under his clothes and placed it to the other meals. "A meal is not the same without some snacks beforehand. And this here" he gave Naruto a big present, "is from Shikamaru and me."

"The decoration is missing" Shino suddenly said and on his command, bugs crawled out of his clothes and formed a Merry X-Mas on the wall.

"Guys…" Naruto started as he was really moved by the scene. "Why don't you spend Christmas with your families? Why did you come?"

"Idiot, we wanted to celebrate this year's Christmas as friends. We don't have to celebrate it each time with our families. The main point is that we spend it with the people we love" Sakura said with a smile and also handed him a present. Soon Naruto had to put the growing pile of presents in his arms down as he couldn't carry it any longer.

It wasn't even evening yet but it was already the best Christmas he ever had and he had trouble to hold back his tears of joy.

"I… I also have presents for all of you!" he suddenly said and jumped up. "I wanted to give them to you when we see each other the next time, after Christmas, but since you're all already here…" He rushed to his closet where he hid the presents. On his way he almost ran through Hope who stood apart from the group, watching the whole scene with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"How do you like it?" she asked.

"Did you…" he whispered, "Did you organize all this?"

She only smiled and winked at him. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

**I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and spent it with the persons you love. Merry late X-Mas!  
**


	17. Tsunade - The morning after

**Thanks to Weirdnfreaky, Inanari and** **forever - aine for the reviews! **

**This is a continuation of the last Tsunade chapter.**

**Tsunade – The morning after**

_Learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow _

Blinking she tried to open her eyes but her eyelashes were heavy from sleep. Trying again she succeeded only to be blinded by bright light.

Groaning she slowly regained consciousness and waited until her eyes focused to see where she was. She lay in a bed in the small temporary apartment-

"Good morning! How are you feeling?" Firstly she thought that it must be Shizune but that voice was higher. Turning her head slightly she saw that little girl standing in front of her bed, her hands behind her back, whipping on her heels. Vaguely she remembered meeting her yesterday night when she came home. She had slept in front of her door…

"What are you doing here?" she mumbled. Her tongue was heavy with sleep, and carefully to not worsen the rising headache she sat up.

"I'm taking care of you of course! I told you that I would help you to get better. First step: A long dreamless sleep, accomplished." That's when she noticed that in fact she had woken up by the sunlight, not screaming, covered in sweat, the images of her nightmare haunting her. For the first time since their deaths she had slept well.

"Step two: Take a shower and change clothes. You smell." A smile appeared on her lips and without any complains she stood up from the bed, wobbling slightly, to pick up fresh clothes from her backpack and to go to the shower which was connected to the room. About to enter the bathroom, she froze suddenly and turned around. She blinked once, then twice, but the sight remained.

"Uh what happened to the door?" It was broken down, burst into little wooden pieces.

"You tried to open it with the key but as you didn't hit the keyhole, you broke the whole door down" Hope explained giggling. "You're lucky that you are at the end of the hallway so not that much people came by and peeked in."

Sighing she turned and entered the bathroom. Stripping from the filthy clothes she faced her worn out, pale face with the stress lines and the dark shadows under her eyes before she entered the shower. Enjoying how the warm water relaxed her muscles, she stayed there until the water turned cold and then stepped out, dried off, dressed into the new clothes and brushed her teeth. Facing once again the mirror she made a hand sign and corrected her age-defying jutsu. A second later there were no signs of her stress present anymore. Content she stepped back into the room.

"What now?"

"Step three: Pack things and leave this building" the girl ordered. Once again she didn't argue but only grabbed her backpack, the suitcase with the remaining money – she actually had wanted to bring it along while gambling but Shizune didn't let her go until she at least let one suitcase behind.

"Alright let's go!" the girl cheered and together they stepped over the ruins of the door, down the hallway and stairs and she checked out. They already had disappeared in the busy crowd on the street when the innkeeper yelled: "My door! What happened to my door?"

"Okay step four: Grab something to eat." Immediately the girl led her into a nice looking café and they sat down at a table.

"So" she stared after ordering, "Why do you appear in my life again and again without even changing your appearance and age?"

"You also don't change your appearance" the girl replied smugly with a grin. "But to answer your question: I appear because you are depressed, sad, desperate, about to break. I'm here to help you recover, to bring you back happiness and to make you feel better. I don't change appearance because I'm stuck with this form forever so it seems. I'm not really a person but more like a ghost and only one person at a time can see me. Now it's you."

"What's your name?"

"Hope!"

"That's a weird name…"

"It's not! Even though I was given this name by a sulking meanie a looong time ago, I like it" she defended her name pouting.

She smiled and then her meal was delivered. "That looks yummy… Oh how I wish I could eat" Hope mumbled sulking, burying her head in her arms while she dug in her breakfast, thinking about Hope's words.

It made sense. That time when Dan had died she had thought the girl's appearance to be only an illusion as no one had noticed her and the rain hadn't even touched her, and she quickly had forgotten about her. She had thought that she only had imagined her appearance, that it had been a trick which her mind had played her. Also she had banned everything that had happened in either of these fateful nights, including the strange appearance of the little girl, out of her head – or at least she had tried to.

With a sigh she finished her breakfast.

"Was it good?" Hope was leaning almost all over the table, staring at her with gleaming eyes.

Raising an eyebrow she said: "Yes... Where should we go now?" She already had pulled out the money and now placed it on the table, standing up afterwards.

Hope hopped down next to her, smiling up at her. "What do you think?"

She looked up and down the street. The street with its tempting casino's and bars.

"I want to leave this village." Hope nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Frowning she looked at the crowd of people who already tried their luck that early in the morning.

"Where is that Shizune?" she mumbled. She didn't want to spend a second longer than she had to in this village of temptations but first she had to find her assistant. After all the only way she gained money was because she accepted medical jobs, but she herself couldn't do them as she was afraid of blood so no Shizune also meant no money.

"That's a really selfish reason to search for her" Hope commented from her side but she only waved it off.

"Let's see… I remember that she was still with me in Lu's casino, but the drink at the sunshine-bar I had alone… I think…" She sighed. That still left half a dozen bars and casino's which she had to check out.

"Hey Miss, want to try your luck again? The first three tries are for free!" No Shizune.

"Hello beautiful lady, want to have today's special?" No Shizune.

"Today there is one million Ryo in the pot!" No Shizune.

"Hey there again, do you want another one of my special drinks?" No Shiz- wait, there was something lying under the bar chairs which was slightly moving. Stepping closer she saw black hair, and then her assistant who slept peacefully with an empty sake bottle in her hand. The pig Tonton lay next to her.

"Shizune!" she yelled and her assistant instantly jumped up, banging her head against the chairs and knocking them over in the process.

"L-Lady Tsunade!" she shrieked, trying to get the dizziness out of her head. "I'm so sorry for falling asleep, are you alright, what happened…?"

"Grab that pig and then let's go! We're leaving this village full of temptations."

Blinking Shizune stared at her master, Tonton, still dozing, lying now in her arms. "Are we out of money?" she asked worried, as she thought this could be the only reason her master would ever leave such a village just like that.

"No, at least not completely. But we still have to take the first job that is offered to us."

Shizune groaned. "You mean _I_ have to take it." Sharply she glared at the young woman.

"Is there a problem?"

Shrieking Shizune waved her hands the best she could with the pig in her arms. "N-No!"

"Good then let's go and get you sober. First step: A long dreamless sleep…" Frowning she looked her assistant who tried to stifle a yawn up and down. "I think you had enough sleep. Step two: Take a shower and change clothes. Because of we can't get back into our apartment we will stop at the river where you can take a bath."

"What do you mean with we can't get back into our apartment…?" Shizune asked scared but she probably didn't even want to hear the answer.

"Step three: Pack things and leave this village. We are on it. Come on! On the way out we can do step four and get you breakfast. Hurry up Shizune!"

From behind her, she heard Hope chuckle. "I think I'm not needed here anymore…"

* * *

**A Happy New Year to you all! If you should wake up tomorrow morning with a hangover, remember Hope's four steps to get better!**


	18. Madara - Defeated

**I hope all of you arrived safe and sound in the new year.**

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews! **

**This chapter is mainly about Naruto manga 624-625**

**Madara – Defeated**

_Sometimes you have to shut up, swallow your pride _

_And accept that you're wrong. _

_It's not giving up. _

_It's called growing up…_

Completely paralyzed he lay on the cold hard ground, taking in raspy breaths. Through half lidded eyes he stared up into the cloudless blue sky. Sweat stuck his tattered clothes and his long hair to his skin, along with his blood that pooled out of various wounds.

He never would have thought that this could happen. In the first time he lied on the ground. Defeated and about to die.

"Man you look pathetic." He immediately recognized that unnerving high voice and had to smirk even though it hurt. If he could move his head he would have looked at her innocent form stuck in the white dress but he only could stare up into the sky.

She had said the same sentence during their last meeting that had occurred before he had prepared for this battle. At that time he wouldn't even have thought about the possibility of losing to the Senju brothers. Life was full of surprises…

Hashirama was sitting at his left side. That bastard was as tattered and worn out as himself, his heavy panting filled the air; but he was at least still able to rise up.

Determined heavy footsteps neared his broken form. He heard a sword being drawn.

"Madara… This is the end." Tobirama of course… Damn that white haired Senju.

He hadn't even been able to avenge his little brother. The great Madara Uchiha, too weak to kill one man and now that man was about to kill him. He had hoped that at least Hashirama would do the final blow and thus end their constant quarrel but it seemed that this man didn't have the guts to do so after all.

"Tsk you call him gutless in your position? You really are pathetic." He hated to admit it but the girl was right.

Wait a second… How could she know what he was thinking?!

"Wait, Tobirama." Surprised he gazed at the other clan head from the corners of his black half-lidded eyes. He knew that man since his childhood and still… that idiot never stopped to amaze and surprise him.

"But why, brother?! This is our chance isn't it?"

A trail of blood ran down the corners of his mouth. One of his lungs must have been damaged. The cause was probably a cracked rip that had pierced through it. Dammit Hashirama, just kill me already. I'm as good as dead anyway.

"You truly sound eager to die" Hope commented with a frown. "What happened to you? I wouldn't have thought you'd give up that easily." He wasn't about to give up. This battle was already lost anyway, he stood with one foot in the grave, he was tired and exhausted, and he didn't even have enough chakra left to lift a single finger. It was over for him.

"I won't allow you to lay a hand on him!"

He completely forgot to examine the damaged pitiful state he was in and just stared… stared at his greatest nemesis, heir of the Senju, brother of the one who had killed his own little brother.

"Hmph… you might as well… make it quick… Hashirama." Only to speak caused him immense pain but he didn't even wince.

"Yeah yeah you're a tough arrogant badass we know that already." Hope rolled her eyes, causing him to snort.

More serious he continued to talk to his enemy: "If you do it… I'll be satisfied." It would be better to die through the hand of Hashirama than through Tobirama's.

"It's no use acting tough."

"Ha that guy is so right. Why is he your enemy and not your adviser?" He tried to blend out her irritating high voice.

"If we kill you, the head… the young Uchiha who hold you dear will go on a rampage."

"These young Uchiha must be out of their minds to hold such a sulking meanie like you dear."

Sadly, the Uchiha were not out of their minds because… "There's no one in the Uchiha who still feels like that anymore."

"No… I'm sure there are."

"That guy is really nice. He even tries to cheer you, his fallen enemy, up. You should show him more respect, you defeated sulking mean bastard!"

"Can't we settle it like we used to? Just the two of us…"

"See?! He doesn't want to draw the others into it; maybe he wants to have peace with you before you die. Any interest in returning his kindness?" Hope eyed him with a pointed look. Forget it, little girl. He didn't spend most of his life hating the Senju just to become sentimental by the moment of his death.

"You know we can't… I'm not the same as you anymore. I don't have any siblings left… And I can't trust you…"

"You can't trust them? I would say it's rather the other way around. After all, your old friend here seems fine to me."

No, he couldn't trust the Senju. They would eliminate the Uchiha once Madara, the only one who was able to stop Hashirama, was gone. He hated to admit it, but the clan wasn't as strong as it used to be. Too many have died. In the end, he couldn't even have protected his clan, even though he had promised Izuna otherwise.

"How can we make you trust us?"

"If you want us to straighten things out… Then either kill your brother… or kill yourself. Then… we'll be even… Then I will trust your clan."

In the background, Hope facepalmed and then hit her head against a bolder. Of course her head just slipped through the stone. It looked so funny, he would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't move.

He didn't care. No matter how childish and naïve Hashirama was, he knew that the Senju would never agree to this. This should be the end to that fool's stupid attempt to become friends with him again. For a moment he had thought about just telling him he should kill his brother, but he couldn't do it. He had experienced firsthand the sadness and grief of losing a sibling. He had to give Hashirama at least a fair chance.

"Why did you say this?" Hope yelled at him. "Don't you even want to have peace for your clan?"

Of course he wanted peace, more than anything else. He didn't want any more Uchiha to die. He didn't want to fight this war either. But there was only one way for peace to exist: The Senju had to be defeated, and the Uchiha must be the victors of this war.

"Have you ever thought about working together with the Senju?" Hope asked, fuming, with her arms akimbo.

He simply rolled his eyes. She already started to sound like Hashirama. It was a naïve foolish dream, nothing else. The Senju and Uchiha could never work together; they were like two opposites that couldn't coexist.

"You never know until you try…" Hope smugly replied but he stayed with his opinion. He would never work together with these wood-idiots, especially not with the murderer of his brother!

"So you rather want to doom your clan just because of your own personal issue?!"

Around them, people started to talk in disbelief.

"That man is crazy! What do you plan to do, brother?! Are you going to kill me?!"

No… Hashirama would never do that. Just like himself he already had lost a sibling. Never would he risk losing another one, even if Tobirama was a bastard.

"Says the right man! Don't you see?! Even if he would kill himself, so that you could "trust" the Senju, peace still wouldn't exist because the Senju won't forgive you for forcing their leader to commit suicide! What you say is completely illogical!"

But he didn't listen to the brat and instead fixed his eyes on his enemy. Hashirama stood up. And he smiled.

"Thank you, Madara. Indeed, you're a sympathetic person."

He knew this idiot since they had been children, but right then he felt like he didn't know this man at all as Hashirama threw his armor to the ground, took a kunai, and pointed it at his own chest.

He really was going to do it… Hashirama that fool was about to sacrifice his life for his idiotic fantasy of peace.

"After my death, do not kill Madara. Uchiha and Senju must not fight each other ever again."

If it wasn't for his lungs being pierced, he would have laughed out loud. Hashirama was even a bigger fool than he thought he was. How did that naïve idiot ever became a clan leader?!

"Maybe because he first thinks of others instead of himself… In opposition to you, you sulking bastard. Seriously, these guys, including Hashirama, they have lost people too, people who were precious to them. You have killed countless members of his clan, and yet he offers you his hand, wants to work together with you to end this war and to stop the killings. He is a noble man. But you're only a selfless, arrogant, prideful, sulking bastard." He glanced at her. Hope stared at him so accusingly and angry, with narrowed eyes, her stare so intense that he actually had to avert his eyes and instead looked back at Hashirama.

"You know if you let that man kill himself you will be left alone with Tobirama…" Hope tried one more time to change his mind.

The Senju held the tip of the kunai just above his heart, with a smile spread over his face.

"Farewell…" A single tear escaped his closed eyes.

_"__I can't stand you! Go away!"_

_"__Well then…"_

_"__No wait!"_

* * *

_"__My younger brother died. The reason I came here is that by looking at the river I feel like these vague feelings are carried away by the water."_

* * *

_"__The only way not to die is to show what you really think to your enemy, without hiding anything and become allies with them."_

* * *

_"No… In the end I'm not that much. If I were that good my brother wouldn't have died."_

_"__Let's build a settlement here! Let's make it a place where children don't have to kill each other!"_

* * *

_"__At last not only you, but I got to the other side too."_

Before the kunai could even touch the fabric of Hashirama's shirt, his hand had shot out and grabbed the Senju's hand, preventing him from doing the final blow.

Hot searing pain shot through his body, it felt like his pierced lung was ripped apart, he coughed up blood, and the hand with which he supported his weight was shaking. But the grip he had on Hashirama's hand was firm.

"It's enough… I have seen your guts."

_"__Is it really impossible to show each other our real guts?"_

_"__I don't know… But I always come here in hope that a way exists."_

"Woot woot! I knew that you weren't such a cold heartless bastard like you always pretend to be!" In a second Hope stood behind him and he felt the warmth of her touch as her fingers slipped through his body. A moment later his insides started to heal, he could breathe again. Somehow he knew that if he wouldn't have changed his mind, she would have let him die.

A smirk appeared on his lips.

"This is going to be great, I know it! You will build your cool village, stop the war, maybe you will be able to learn a thing or two from your new noble well-mannered friend, you will have enough time to forgive that white haired man, and you will be forced to be friendly to everyone for once and to stop sulking!"

His smirk dropped instantly. Oh yes, now he would live in the same area like this bastard Tobirama.

"Aw don't be so depressed now Mr. Sulkie, I'm sure you two will have lots of fun." She giggled. For a brief moment he wished that Hashirama would have killed him earlier.

* * *

**Please review!**


	19. Haku - Unwanted

**Weirdnfreaky once asked me if I could do a chapter about Haku. I said yes and even though it took me a while to write this chapter, here it is! Finally!**

**Enjoy reading...**

**Haku - Unwanted**

_"__Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty." (Mother Teresa)_

It was cold. So cold…

Trembling and curled up to a ball he was lying in the snow which soaked through his thin layer of clothing. He was freezing in the coldness, his numb fingers clutched the snow that melted instantly because of the little body heat that was still left, and salty tears streamed down his face just to turn into a trail of ice.

He had to get out of this snow and coldness quickly, had to warm his body up or else he'd freeze to death in this white desert. But he couldn't move, and instead just continued to lie on the white ground, shaking, but it was only partly from the coldness.

He didn't know where he should go since he had nowhere to go to anyway. He didn't dare to turn his head and instead only buried it deeper into the heap of snow, ignoring the fact that his facial muscles went numb.

Behind him lay what used to be his home. The simple wooden house was now pierced with spears of thick ice that had broken through the roof, the walls, the windows…

The white snow covered the sickening red spots on the ice. And inside, inside were the bodies.

The image of his dead mother appeared in his mind, from the moment he had found her, lying on the ground, staring at him with wide broken eyes. The door had been crushed down, his father and an angry mob bolted inside. The people had stared down at him with hatred written in their grimaced faces. He knew most of them, friends of his father who always had looked at him with a smile, concerned about his well-being.

His father had raised the axe he had been holding in his hand. He remembered the terrifying fear he had felt in that moment, a fear like he had never experienced it before, just before everything had went blank. As he had come to his senses again, every one of them was pierced by a spear of ice, nailed to the leftovers of the wood. Blood had been everywhere and snowflakes had fallen through a hole in the roof.

As fast as his shaking weak legs could carry him he had fled from the scene, the bodies, and the blood. He hadn't come too far though.

Why? Why did his father do this to him? He remembered when a few days ago he had discovered his ability to transform ice and water, but when he was about to show it to his mother she had slapped his hand away.

And her eyes…

There had been something in the look she had given him, something so horrified that it had scared him deeply. She had screamed "Why?! Why does he have it too?" into the heaven while pulling at his wrist just before she slapped him.

He still didn't understand it. Why was it so bad that he could make pretty things out of the water without having to touch it?

After the slap she had told him under tears that she was sorry and he had believed her, had believed that everything was alright again, even though she forbid him to ever use his ability again.

Had she been killed because of it? But what had she done wrong? Were people not supposed to control ice and water? Did his mother have the ability too?

It still didn't make any sense to him though. His mother had been so kind hearted, and he, he only had wanted to make some figures to present them his parents. What was wrong with that?!

As if he hoped he could find the answers there, he lifted his head and turned around to stare back, back at the pierced house. This had been him. He had done it.

Maybe they did have a right to kill him, maybe he should have just let them kill him, maybe he was an abomination, a monster…

He remembered the look in his father's eyes, the fear, the anger, the unspoken apology while tears had ran down his cheeks and he had lifted the axe over his head.

Maybe he had known that if he himself wouldn't kill his son, then he would kill them in return. Maybe it was bad to have such kind of ability, maybe it was a dark power, something demonic-like?

It was useless to ponder about it now. He wouldn't get any answers as there was no one left to tell him. Tell him why his mother had to die, tell him why he was supposed to die, tell him why he had this ability, tell him why he had killed all these men, tell him how he could stop it.

He was alone now. What if not only the people from this area, but also from the nearby town or even from all over the world wanted to kill him because of his power? Maybe he did deserve death.

He was completely alone, all by himself. The world didn't need him. His parents didn't have wanted him; just because he could do something he wasn't supposed to do. He was unwanted; unwanted by the world.

Desperation built up inside of him and new tears spilled out of his eyes.

What use did life have if no one wanted him? He was nothing more than a nuisance. Nobody needed him. He was alone.

He couldn't live on like that. Burying his head in his arms he let the snow slowly cover his form and didn't fight the coldness even though his body tried desperately to provide him with warmth.

It probably would be the best to just die. No one would miss him, he had no purpose anymore, no one needed him.

"Why are you laying here in the snow? Aren't you cold?" Shaking, with chattering teeth, his skin already turning blue, he looked up.

A girl stood in front of him, bending down to him, with a frown on her face. She was only dressed in a light dress and was barefoot but the coldness didn't seem to affect her. A warm golden shimmer surrounded her, like an angel. Or maybe it was only his frozen brain playing tricks on him…

Did she know of his capabilities? Was she also sent here to kill him? To get rid of the person no one wanted, no one needed?

"You will freeze to death like this. Come, let me warm you up." With a gentle smile she stepped closer. Even if he would have wanted to move, he couldn't. He was completely numb.

The girl kneeled down beside him and wrapped her small arms around him. His eyes widened as he was not met with flesh, but with comforting warmth. He looked up to see that the snowflakes melted just when they passed right through her. Yes, they passed through her, they didn't touch her.

Did she also have strange abilities? Was she also unwanted, just like him?

She slipped her hands through his and slowly the feeling returned to his frozen limbs. He could even move his fingers slightly.

Again he couldn't help it as fresh tears dwelled up and rolled down his cheeks and he buried his head in her warm transparent form. His shoulders shook, his hands were balled to fists but the girl only hushed him softly.

"It's alright" she whispered in his ear. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here, I'm going to get you out of here okay?"

He lifted his head to stare at her through a blurry vision. "D-Do you t-think t-that I-I'm not p-precious?" he asked through sobs and teeth chattering.

The girl only gave him a warm smile. "No, of course not. Every person is precious; every person has a right to live. That's why we should quickly move you out of this snow before that snowstorm at the horizon will arrive." He wiped the tears away and stared at the dark ominous clouds in the distance. Numbly he nodded and the girl stood up. He followed her stumbling.

Silently they started to walk toward the town; she always stayed close at his side, one arm wrapped around him to provide him with warmth. She never turned around to the destroyed house, she never asked him what happened, and she never asked if he was responsible for that.

They arrived at the town after nightfall, just as the snowstorm hit them. Searching cover she led him to a small alley where they were protected by the icy cold squalls.

With his knees pulled up to his torso, sitting behind a garbage can, he was thankful to the constant heat the girl was radiating off. He was absolutely sure now that she also had some kind of ability and it made him feel better; to know that there was someone like him, someone as abnormal as him. He didn't care if he was unwanted by the rest of the world as long as she was there, giving him company, making him feel precious once again.

The storm almost had stopped when suddenly a door leading to the alley opened and a man dressed in kitchen staff clothes, with a bag of food leftovers in his hand, stepped out. Without seeing them he threw the bag into the trash can and disappeared back into the building.

His stomach growled in need when the smells of the kitchen hit his nose and as soon as the door had closed he crawled out of his hiding spot and got to the bag, ripped it open and stuffed anything that was still edible in his mouth.

Suddenly there was a growl behind him. Whirling around, he saw a brown skinny dog baring its teeth at him.

"Stay away!" he yelled and kicked the dog, making it whimper. "That's my food!"

The girl passed him and stepped closer to the dog.

"She is probably hungry herself…"

He wanted to tell her that he didn't care, that the dog should search somewhere else for food, that this one was his, but the words got caught in his throat as two little puppies suddenly jumped out of the shadows and in front of the fallen dog.

He stared at the puppies which growled now at him, wanting to protect their mother. The girl just turned and looked at him, asking him silently what he would do now.

For a moment he hesitated but then he turned around and pulled out some pieces of meat he originally had wanted to eat himself. He threw it in front of the puppies. They stopped growling at him and instead stepped closer to the meat, sniffed at it and then started to eat hungrily. The mother stood up. Carefully she trudged to him, looking at him with big brown eyes. He searched a little bit in the bag until he found some other meat and gave it to the dog.

"You're also unwanted, aren't you?" he asked quietly while he watched her sling down the food hungrily.

"Not completely" the girl said. "Her children want her." He smiled.

Suddenly the door to the restaurant kitchen opened again. This time the man saw them. When he did, his face turned angry and he yelled: "Get away from here you scum! Search somewhere else to loot!"

Quickly they all ran away, the mother disappeared with her puppies in a gap under a house while he and the girl ran through the streets.

They halted in the middle of a bridge, panting heavily.

"At least your cheeks have color again" the girl said with a grin and slumped down on the ground right in front of the balustrade. He sat down next to her. The snow storm had stopped but it was snowing again and the flakes fell down on them.

"What's your name by the way?" he asked. Now that the storm was over he could open his mouth without having tons of snowflakes blasted into his mouth.

"It's Hope!" she introduced herself cheerfully. "And you are?"

"Haku" he said and a small smile appeared on his lips. He felt way better now and even though he was still a little hungry there was a warm ball at the pitch of his stomach that filled him entirely.

Suddenly he saw a figure approaching them. As the person stepped into the light of the street lamps he could see that it was a tall man, big parts of his face were covered mask-like with bandages, he was dressed in typical shinobi gear from the Mist and had his headband tied around his head. His shadow fell partly on him.

"He looks scary" Hope whispered at him and he couldn't fail to notice that she wrapped her hands around him in a protective manner but somehow he wasn't afraid of the stranger.

The man now halted directly in front of them and he glanced down at him with dark eyes. He couldn't look away; he was captivated by these black orbs that made him feel like he was looking into a mirror.

"A kid like you will not be needed by anyone and die a beggar" the stranger suddenly spoke; his deep voice was muffled by the mask.

"Shut up, don't talk like that! Everyone is needed by someone!" Hope yelled at him but the man didn't even seem to notice her and was still only looking down at him. He, still staring into these black eyes, smiled.

"You have the same eyes as me." The black orbs widened.

"Haku…?" the girl asked unsure.

Just by looking into the man's eyes he knew that he was also alone, unwanted, not needed, worthless…

And the man knew it too.

"Kid, do you want to be needed by someone?" he then asked all of a sudden. "Can you give everything to me?" He nodded. "Then starting today, your ability is mine."

Like in trance he stood up, never braking eye contact with the man, the man whom he would serve from now on and would protect with his very life.

"Haku…" Hope repeated. For a short moment he broke eye contact and stared at the girl. She had saved his life and he was thankful for that, but she actually didn't need him and he didn't need her anymore. She wasn't unwanted, he knew it, knew that there were others who wanted and needed her. She wasn't worthless. But this man was also alone, just like him. This man needed him, needed his ability, he could make him feel precious again.

Hope understood. He saw it in her blue eyes and her mouth formed into a smile.

"Good luck" she said brightly and in the next second she was gone, just like that.

He walked over to the stranger. The man lifted a hand and placed it on his head, then pulled him closer to him.

"Come with me."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! I probably will do a chapter about Zabuza too in the future but it could take a while since I don't have a particular idea yet. **

**As always, reviews are welcome!**


	20. Akatsuki - Together

**Thanks to Inanari and Weirdnfreaky for the reviews!**

**Akatsuki - Together**

_"__Understanding is much deeper than Knowledge. _

_There are many people who know us,_

_But very few who understand us."_

It was one of the very rare moments that almost all of the Akatsuki were gathered physically. They were currently in the highest tower of Amegakure and were sitting together in the living room that was in the fifth floor.

Since a couple of hours they were playing cards and drinking booze. Their leader had called them all together because in two days they'd start with the hunt after the Jinchuriki and they just had discussed in a meeting the final plans of the hunt, like which team should go after which Jinchuriki, where their locations were, their abilities and how to counter them…

Hidan cursed loudly as he had lost yet another game and in a fit of rage he threw his cards at the table, scattering them everywhere in the process.

"Fucking shitty game! I had enough of this! Ouch Kakuzu you dipshit what was that for?!" he yelled after Kakuzu had slapped his head.

"Gather all the cards that you just threw around, idiot! And don't a miss a single one. Cards are expensive after all."

"They're not that expensive you're just being a cheap pain in the ass!"

With a grin Kisame opened yet another sake bottle and just wanted to take a sip when suddenly he heard _her_ voice in his head.

_"__Drinking isn't healthy and it makes you do things you regret later. Also your problems won't get solved through it."_

He froze in the movement and stared down at the bottle blinking in confusion. He had no idea why he remembered her words all of a sudden. He looked around the room but didn't spot her.

"Hey Kisame what's wrong?" Deidara asked from the coach opposite of him. The blond terrorist sat next to Hidan. Kisame shared the only other couch in the room with Itachi. Between the zealot and the Uchiha, Kakuzu sat happily in an armchair with the pile of money he'd won in his lap. On the other armchair on Kisame's left side sat the ever bored looking Sasori.

"Has anyone of you ever met Hope?" Kisame suddenly asked, looking at the other Akasuki curiously. "Young girl, white dress, blonde hair, blue eyes…? I know that at least Itachi met her" he added, grinning at his expressionless partner. Immediately all eyes were on Itachi before wandering back to Kisame.

"What in Jashin's name are you talking about?" Hidan asked confused.

"I once met her though back then I didn't know that her name was Hope" a soft voice suddenly said from the door and to everyone's surprise Konan stepped into the room. Usually she barely faced the other members except for when they had a meeting and even then she mostly was silent, staying by Pain's side.

"I'm sorry that I stepped in just like that but I overheard you talking when I passed the room. The door was open" the origami user explained.

"So you met her too?" Kisame asked and she nodded, the ghost of a smile flashed over her lips.

"I met her a long time ago though she didn't introduce herself. But she gave me strength to continue my path." He grinned.

"Sounds just like her."

"I… uh… I also met her for a couple of times" Deidara said shifting uncomfortably in his seat as everyone now looked at him. "She is one of the few people who have ever acknowledged my art, un." He then grinned at his red haired partner. "I bet she thinks my art is the best, un." Sasori's eyes narrowed.

"I doubt that. After all she also accompanied me while I was working on my puppets." Too late he realized what he had just revealed and tsk'ed in anger and annoyance, leaning back and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I wonder what her view of art is then" Deidara thought out loud.

"You never asked her?" Sasori smirked, making the blond narrow his blue eye.

"Did you?"

"Of course. Her view is very… interesting" he said with a smile.

_"__Brat may I ask you something?" he asked while sealing the corpse into a scroll. He just had faced and defeated an enemy shinobi with a rather unique ability and decided to turn the body into one of his puppets. He was already a nukenin, the line crossing out the Suna symbol of his forehead protector was proof of it._

_Hope was sitting next to him in the sand. She had showed up right after the battle had ended. Somehow he had the feeling that she had been with his opponent before she had appeared next to him. The young black haired man had become more and more desperate and fearful the longer the battle had taken even though he had tried not to show it and instead had continued to stand his ground, fighting until the very last second when Sasori's blade had cut through his heart. He wouldn't have had a chance anyway. The poison already had been in the shinobi's system and Sasori acknowledged the other's strength in giving him a quick death instead of letting him suffer through the full effect of his poison. Now that he thought about it, the shinobi had had a sudden boost of chakra and strength repeatedly. Could it be that Hope had given the enemy some of her energy to help him?_

_"__Sasori!" The girl suddenly yelled. When he looked up she was waving her hand in front of his face, making him glare at her. "You wanted to ask me something but just spaced out. So ask your question."_

_"__What is art for you?" The girl titled her head to the side, thinking it over before she answered:_

_"__I think life itself is art. If you are born, your life is just the raw material: A blank picture, a blob of clay, wood lying in front of you. And when you grow older, you start to form these raw materials into your life. You make mistakes and try to cover them up because you can't fully erase them and you're either successful or make it only worse. And at the point of your death you look at the art called your life and you're either satisfied as it had turned out into a masterpiece or you're not…"_

Deidara pondered about it for a second and nodded. "That is very interesting, un, though this is not ultimate art. Ultimate art is-"

"Stop!" Kisame called out with a groan, glaring at Deidara and Sasori, the latter had already opened his mouth to protest. "Spare the rest of us with yet another of your art arguments or leave the room."

Sasori closed his mouth and Deidara only grumbled, making Hidan laugh.

"So I still don't get it… Who's that bitch?" the Jashinist then asked.

"You seriously never met her?" Kisame asked.

"No! Unless she was one of the girls I fucked… Is she hot?"

Deidara stared at him in shock. "Damn Hidan she's a seven year old kid!"

"How should I know?!"

"Also it's not possible" Kisame said with a shrug.

"Why? Did you try it?" Sasori asked smirking.

"Hell no; I'm not that twisted."

"It makes just sense since she doesn't have a physical body to begin with" Itachi explained and Kisame nodded thankfully at his partner which he only replied with an hn.

"So is she a ghost or what?" Hidan continued asking as he was still confused.

"Personally I'm not surprised that she never has appeared for him." It was the first time Kakuzu spoke up since the conversation had started. "He is just too stupid and ignorant. Also I don't wish for anyone to have to share time with this annoying piece of crap, especially not her."

"Hey shut the fuck up Kakuzu you old fucker or I'll fucking bloody sacrifice you to Lord Jashin!" Hidan roared after progressing what his partner just said. Kakuzu though only gave him a glare and then ignored him.

"So you also met her?" Konan asked, eyeing the oldest of them slightly surprised. He nodded.

"She saved my life… twice."

"Man that's pathetic" Hidan laughed and this earned him a punch in the face.

"Ouch what was that fucking for you old cocksucker?!" he yelled holding his broken bloody nose.

"By the way does anybody see Hope right now?" Itachi suddenly asked. Instantly everybody froze and then started to look around the room, searching the happily smiling blonde girl in the white dress.

If she heard us talking she probably would roll around the floor laughing, Kisame thought sweat dropping inwardly.

But one after another they all shook their heads. Hope wasn't in the room.

"I wonder who she is with now" Deidara mumbled with a frown.

"It doesn't matter, after all it could only be a mere civilian in the smallest village" Sasori said shrugging.

"Konan, do you know by any chance if Leader has ever encountered her?" Kisame asked and every member looked at the only female Akatsuki in curiosity.

"No I don't know. He never mentioned anything about her although it wouldn't surprise me if she did appear for him." This left all of the Akatsuki interested. They knew mostly nothing about their leader and his past, so for Konan to say that there was a possibility that he could have met her must mean that he had a rough past too. Of course he had, Itachi thought, one didn't become the leader of an S-rank criminal organization thriving for peace after experiencing a happy childhood.

"Well you can ask him in the next meeting" Konan said with a smile and turned to the door.

"You could also ask him and tell us afterwards" Kisame suggested with a grin. Konan though only gave him a small smile in return and left the room with a bow.

"So to get back on the matter… Who in Jashin's name is that freaking girl?!"

"Forget it Hidan, un" Deidara said with a smirk and collected the cards that were left scattered over the table from Hidan's outburst. "You have to meet her to know it."

"Fine be a bitch and don't tell me" he grumbled and stood up. "I'm just cleaning my freaking nose. Don't dare fucking start without me or I'll sacrifice you to Lord Jashin!" he threatened before he disappeared.

When he came back they continued playing, drinking and simply enjoying their last evening before they would leave to hunt down the nine tailed beasts. And even though nobody of them would have admitted in at that time, the fact that (almost) all of them had ever encountered Hope in some point of their lives had left them in a slightly more sympathetic status to each other afterwards.

* * *

**I got the inspiration to that chapter from Inanari who told me it would be great if some characters who have met Hope would come together at a point and talk about her.**

**I have a question for you: Which kind of chapter do you like more: The lighter happier ones with some humor, or the dark sad depressing ones?**

**Please review!**


	21. Obito - Hell

**Thanks to Inanari, weirdnfreaky and iciclefangAJ for the reviews! On your demand the next few chapters will be dark and depressing.**

**Obito - Hell**

_In a perfect world_

_This could never happen_

_In a perfect world_

_You'd still be here (Perfect World – Simple Plan)_

"How far?" he yelled, and jumped off the next branch.

"Half a minute" Hope replied from his side. Effortlessly she kept pace with him. Once in a while she extended her arm, touched him and thus gave him a boost of energy so that he could be faster… could get faster to where Kakashi and Rin were.

"It doesn't look good though" the Zetsu who surrounded and protected him said. "They are cornered, there are too many enemies."

He cursed. Kakashi, Rin… hang in there guys. I'm with you soon. Then we can defeat everyone together because Kakashi and I can now combine our strength.

Just don't let Rin die. You swore to protect her. Don't let her get hurt, he thought desperately.

Suddenly, an image appeared in his head. It was Rin. She looked at him, shocked; her brown eyes gaped in horror. A trail of blood ran down the corners of her mouth.

Angrily he shook his head to make the image disappear. No! Rin would be fine. Kakashi had promised this to him.

But fear still had gripped his rapidly bumping heart and squeezed it painfully.

"You're almost there" Hope said and with another touch of her he jumped out of the trees.

He spotted them instantly. They were facing each other, standing in the middle of the enemy shinobi. Kakashi… Kakashi's hand was pierced through Rin's chest; the lightning of his chidori was still crackling around his hand, fresh red blood dripped to the ground.

It felt like his heart had stopped beating for a moment. The world seemed to stand still. His widened eyes were only fixated on the scene yet he couldn't believe that what he was seeing was truly happening.

"Obito…" he heard Hope's voice from far away but then she was suddenly gone.

* * *

**Kakashi**

Wide-eyes he stared at Rin. Blood streamed around his outstretched arm.

All of a sudden she had stood directly in front of him, just as he was about to kill the Anbu ninja.

Now she stared back at him with her eyes as big as his. Her mouth moved without saying anything.

Don't die! Please don't die!

But he knew better. He had activated his chidori in order to kill. He knew that he had killed her with this attack.

He had killed Rin.

No… Thereby I swore to protect you; I swore it to Obito… I can't lose you too, not yet another friend.

Suddenly his attention was distracted by a bright light coming from his left side, just behind Rin. His eye widened even more when he saw the little girl standing there, holding his gaze. In her big blue eyes were deep sorrow and sadness. It was just like back then when she had shaken her head after giving him energy in order to move the bolder from Obito's crushed body. She had put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting way, had pulled him away from his friend before the cave would have crashed them too.

"Ka-Kakashi…" His head whirled back to Rin.

I'm sorry, he thought. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry so so sorry…

He felt a single hot tear stream down his face.

Carefully he removed his hand from her chest.

Rin coughed up blood. Her body was trembling. Then her knees gave away. She fell. He stretched out an arm, trying to catch her but he only gripped thin air. With a thump she hit the ground but he didn't hear it. He only heard the blood gushing though his head and his rapidly beating heart.

His shaking hand was still reaching out for Rin. Then he felt it. A sudden powerful gush of chakra rushed through his body, coming from the Sharingan eye.

It was too much energy at once. Black dots appeared in his vision. The last thing he saw was that glowing bright light coming from the mysterious girl, and then he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Obito**

Rin fell backwards, like a cut tree, with a big hole in her chest where her heart should be. Her heart that wasn't beating anymore.

She was dead.

Dead.

The horrifying truth hit him like a rocket. His mind went completely blank. All that was left was grief, anger, sadness, despair and red cold hatred.

Abruptly he felt sudden power emerge from his body. He saw only red.

Rin was dead.

He felt how Zetsu closed around him, covered him in his protecting material, until only his eye was free, the bloody red eye that was burning with hatred.

Just as the ninjas noticed him, he jumped forward. After that, everything happened on its own. Blood splashed, the ninjas screamed, the ground got covered in red.

All the while he had an eye on the spot where Rin and Kakashi were lying. They were hardly to oversee as Hope was now standing beside them. Her white dress and blonde hair that seemed so out of place were shining in the bloody darkness.

Suddenly he saw how a ninja was running toward them.

No, he wouldn't let him. He wouldn't let him touch Rin.

Angrily he ran toward him, running through the ones who were standing in his way, killing some of them and pierced the one who dared to touch Rin with wooden spears.

Everything then disappeared in a whirl of blood and darkness, with the glowing figure of Hope in the center, still standing above his fallen friends.

When he came to he stood in a sea of blood. Tree branches reached into the sky, peppered with ripped corpses. Blood dropped down, creating ripples. The reflection of the moon shone in a ghostly red light.

Slowly he walked over to the only source of light. He stepped over Kakashi. Zetsu loosened around him and opened the protecting layer around his face.

His Sharingan was surrounded by blood while salty tears trailed down his left cheek.

He now stood directly above Rin, looked down at her.

"I see now… I'm in… Hell."

With trembling hands he reached out for her. He wanted to hold her, just once more, wanted to feel the warmth of her body before she would turn cold. He winced though as his fingers only slipped through her skin without touching her. His eyes widened in desperation. But then another hand was placed over his. His head jerked up to see Hope kneeling next to him. She nodded and carefully he lowered his hand again.

His fingers touched Rin's warm skin. Tears built up in his eyes. He pulled her limp body closer to him, leaned her head against his shoulder.

What should he do now? Rin was dead. In all the time he had spent training with Zetsu the sole thought of seeing Rin again had pushed him forward. He had wanted to see her again so desperately. He still did. He couldn't bear the thought of having to live in a life without her. There was no purpose in it. She was the center of his world. What use would it have to become Hokage without having her watching over him?

"She might be physically dead, but I'm sure that she is still watching you, hoping for you to fulfill your dream" Hope said softly.

No, Rin was dead. In a few hours her body would be cold and stiff. He would never see her laugh again. He would never hear her voice again.

"There is a possibility to change this" Zetsu replied in his ear. "Remember what Madara told you…"

An imaginary world, a world of dreams… Where everything they wished for would come true… Dead people would be alive again… Rin would be alive… They could be a team again, him, Rin and Kakashi… He could be Hokage and watch over Rin…

"Obito, no! This would only be a fake, a giant lie! You can't change reality with it. Grieve, mourn, but then move on. You still have Kakashi, you can still become Hokage. I am sure that Rin will be watching over you like she had promised!"

But Hope's voice turned into nothing more than an annoying noise in the background while Zetsu whispered in his ear: "Come, go back to Madara and help him archive his ultimate goal. Let us create a world that only knows love, where everyone will be happy."

Yes…

"No! Obito!" Hope shouted desperately. "You will betray everything you stand for! Think about Kakashi. He just lost his second friend. Go back to him, you two can get over the pain together, you can help each other. You said that you wanted to combine powers with him… That's your chance! You can be a team again!"

A team? It wouldn't be the same without Rin. Also he didn't need Kakashi's power, didn't need his second Sharingan. He felt it: An increase of chakra, a new level of skill.

"That's the Mangekyou Sharingan" Zetsu explained to him. "You just activated it."

"Obito!" Hope yelled but he already didn't hear her. With one last sad glance he let go of Rin.

"Don't worry, I will bring you back" he whispered to her. "Then we all can be together again: You, me, Kakashi and Minato-sensei. Everything's gonna be okay."

"No, nothing's gonna be okay! You will destroy this world and replace it with a lie!"

He stood up. The tears had stopped. His eyes held new determination as he walked over the sea of blood and back to where Madara was waiting for him.

He didn't turn around. He didn't look back. Hope was still yelling after him but her voice became lower and lower with every step he took.

When he stepped in front of Madara, she was gone.

He didn't need Hope; he knew exactly what had to be done.

* * *

**In case someone didn't get it: I always write from the pov of the person who sees Hope. So when I changed to Kakashi that was because Hope disappeared from Obito's side and reappeared for Kakashi simply because his despair had been greater in that moment.**

**To be honest I don't like Obito. I liked him as a child because he resembled Naruto so much, but as Tobito I really hated him. But because I said that I will write about every character that has ever known despair, this scene was an absolute must.**

**Also while writing I had the image in my mind that Hope was the angel sitting on Obito's shoulder and Zetsu the little devil. Just imagine how things would have played out if Obito'd have listened to the angel… *sigh***

**Please review!**


	22. Kakashi - Tears

**Thanks to iciclefangAJ, Inanari, Weirdnfreaky, Guest and bribright91 for the reviews.**

**Kakashi – Tears**

_As the fire flashes in the sky_

_He was fragile_

_And frozen_

_When the bullet took away his friend_

_And now he's somehow_

_More broken (Across The Line – Linkin Park)_

A clap of thunder roared through the night.

With a gasp and his eyes wide open he shot up. He needed a moment to realize that he was sitting upright in his bed. He was in his apartment. He was in Konoha. Safe and sound. Not on the battlefield.

It only had been a dream, no, a nightmare.

A sweat droplet ran down his forehead and in his right eye. He blinked it away and had to suppress the upcoming tears that were already dwelling up. He brought his hands to his face in order to wipe away the sweat. A flash of lighting illuminated his dark apartment for a second. He saw that his hands were shaking badly.

Lowering them on the drenched blanked he stared still wide-eyed at the outline of his knees but without really seeing them.

His breath went rapid. His chest lifted and fell quickly. His throat was dry as if he had screamed loudly. He probably had.

Like usual the dream had been unbelievable real. He had been standing on the battlefield again, it was dark, the moon shone weirdly red, the white masks of the enemy Anbu shone everywhere around him. They were surrounded and heavily outnumbered. He just wanted to kill one of them, the one who was directly in front of him. The chidori was already cackling around his hand.

In the dream he knew what was about to happen. He knew he shouldn't attack the Anbu, knew that something terrible was about to happen, wanted to retreat, to stop his hand, but he couldn't and instead it moved on its own.

Then Rin suddenly stood in front of him. It was too late. In the next moment he felt his hand piercing through her warm flesh, ripping a hole in her chest, covering him with blood.

He would never forget the look in her eyes: Surprised, apologetic. And then her last words, whispered silently, while blood poured out of her mouth.

"Ka-Kakashi…"

She reached a blood covered hand out for him, her eyes big but then the thunder had woken him up.

Rain pattered hard against the glass of the window, heavy wind joggled at the halfway lowered roller blind. Again lightning flashed through the sky and after a short moment the thunder followed.

Taking a shaky breath he tossed the soaked blanked aside and stood up.

His legs were shaking and he needed a moment to be able to stand. Wobbling he stumbled to the sink in the other corner of the room. He supported his body with his left hand while he turned on the cold water with the other. Splashing it in his face he just then noticed that he still had his mask on which was now soaked with ice cold water. He didn't care.

Numbly he stared at the running water that flowed into the drain right away. The rain grew even heavier.

"Kakashi?" a quiet voice suddenly whispered from behind him. He whirled around, expecting halfway to find Rin standing in the shadows, with blood running out of her mouth, illuminated by lightning, reaching out for him.

But the dark figure that stood in the middle of his apartment was smaller. Outside another flash illuminated the night and shone through his window and he saw that his visitor was Hope.

She looked at him worried and sad.

"What are you doing here? It's in the middle of the night" he croaked weakly with a lump in his throat. With all his might he held back the tears. He didn't want her to see him crying again. He wanted her to disappear but in the same time longed for her company.

Hope only looked at him. "I think you know why I'm here…" she whispered, so quiet that the last syllable was drowned by the next thunder.

He didn't say anything, didn't reply even though he wanted to tell her that he was fine, that she had no reason to be here, that she should go. But his throat was blocked. Hope continued to stare at his shivering weak form and was also quiet.

The wind was howling around the house.

She stepped closer until she stood directly in front of him. He didn't step back, his body frozen on the spot.

Without a word she opened her arms and embraced him. She only reached up to his waist but it was enough. Immediately her warmth flooded through his body, relaxed the tension in his muscles.

He couldn't hold it back any longer. A tear escaped his right eye, ran down his cheek, dropped down, fell through her body and splashed to the ground. His shoulders were shaking as his quiet sobs echoed through the dark apartment.

The thunder storm continued to rage. The water was still flowing from the tap into the sink. And he stood like frozen in the darkness of his apartment, with the glowing Hope embracing him, while tears streamed down his face and he cried and cried until there was not a single tear left to shed, until he was completely worn out and empty.

Summoning his last strength he crawled back to his bed and lay down. He didn't even have the strength left to thank Hope who only sat down next to him. He was so tired...

Just before he drifted off into sleep he felt her warm touch on his face.

This time he didn't return to the battlefield but stayed in his apartment with Hope watching over him.

* * *

**A short but – in my eyes – sad chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	23. Kisame - Promise

**I know it's been a long time, almost a year now... I'm sorry! I got lost on the path of life... Honestly though I lost interest in this story and focussed on other things. When I reread the story today I however became motivated to write yet another chapter. Have fun reading!**

**Kisame - Promise**

_The worst part about being lied to is knowing that to that person, you weren't worth the truth_

He lay next to her, panting hard, sweat ran down his neck, the scent of sex surrounded them like a cloud. The woman snuggled into his arms, as she was trying to catch her breath as well.

"That was amazing" she breathed into his ear, making him grin in satisfaction. With a delicate slender finger she traced his muscles on his chest. "We should go to sleep now. It's already late and we have that mission tomorrow…"

He only grunted in response but could already feel his eyes getting heavier.

She leaned into him and whispered into his ear: "Maybe we can sneak away tomorrow and repeat this…" He chuckled and pulled her closer, breathing in her beautiful scent. Soon he heard her breath getting slower as she fell asleep. He still lay awake, staring into the darkness of his room. He was actually happy. When had been the last time one of his female teammates actually wanted to spend more time with him except for simply being on a mission? When did a woman ever want to have sex with him without him paying for it? When did anyone not mind being seen in public with him? Too long, that was clear.

He just hoped it would last for a bit longer and he could repeat that night with her more often. With this thought he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

He didn't know what woke him up: A shift on the mattress, the slight rustle of the bed sheet, or maybe just his plain shinobi instincts.

The cold sharp tip of the kunai was resting on the left crane of his neck, about to slit his throat open.

He was awake right away, gripped the surprisingly thin wrist that was holding the kunai and pushed the person who was about to kill him away. The person landed gracefully on the floor, but before another attack could happen, Kisame sat upright and looked at the assassin. His eyes widened in shock and surprise at seeing the naked woman, his teammate, his lover for the night…

She was still gripping the kunai tightly, and her face was the cold, blank, expressionless mask of a killer who was about to finish the job.

"Why?" he asked while getting off the bed and reaching for his weapon pouch, without letting her out of his eyes. The reason didn't really matter though. He should have known that it was too good to be true that a woman might fall for him, wanted to have sex with him, wanted to spend time with him… He was only a monster after all, a brute. He felt a painful jab in his heart, felt betrayal and hurt.

"It's a mission, Kisame" the woman replied and she looked at him coldly, without apology, without regret. He snorted. If she would feel sorry she wouldn't have tried to kill him in the first place. Their night hadn't meant anything, nor did the sweet words she had cooed into his ear. She had lied to him the whole time.

"Who gave you the mission? Who are you working for? Are you a spy?" He wanted to know the answers before he would kill her. If she was a spy he had to inform his superiors which enemy had infiltrated them.

The woman though slightly shook her head. "I am a shinobi of the Mist, Kisame. But apparently your superiors do not want to see you alive anymore. They ordered your death."

It felt like his body was thrown into ice cold water, just to be burned alive. His heart was squeezed by an invisible force and his stomach threatened to turn upside down.

Fuguki… The man he was working for, the man he had sacrificed everything for, the man whom every order he carried out…

Suddenly, the shock and feel of betrayal were replaced by anger and rage.

How dare they toss him away just like that?! How dare they trying to kill him, _him_, a loyal shinobi? Growling, he dashed at the woman and let his anger out on her.

The fight didn't last long. Panting, lying in a puddle of blood, her arm broken, the woman looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"Ki…Kisa…" She was too weak to even whisper his name. It only made him angrier. Did she really expect him to pity her, to not kill her, just because they had spent a night together? A night based on lies? She had betrayed him, had pretended to like him in order to get what she wanted. She had used him. He hated lies. He hated liars. He would make her suffer as much as possible before he would rip her apart! His eyes were burning with rage, his muscles flexed, his sharp teeth were showing, as he tightly gripped the kunai in his hand. He would tear her skin off, inch by inch in the most agonizing way and then-

"Kisame…"

His head snapped up. This wasn't the woman speaking… His eyes widened when he saw the little small girl stand in front of him. She looked up at him with sad eyes, her tiny hands crossed in front of her body, her big blue eyes pleading him not to shed any more blood.

Suddenly, all the anger he had felt seconds before was gone, blown away, and all that was left was hurt.

The woman tried to sit up in order to get to the kunai that lie abandoned on the floor. Even though she was about to die, she wanted to finish her mission, wanted to kill him. In the end, she too was only following orders and in that sense she was a loyal shinobi. He still wanted to rip her body apart though, but looking at Hope he knew he couldn't do that.

He stepped behind the crawling woman and quickly broke her neck. Her dead, still naked body slumped to the ground. He didn't turn to look at Hope. He never had wanted her to see him in this state and even felt ashamed that he had let his emotions get the best of him.

Quickly getting dressed, he packed his things and quietly jumped out of the window. Luckily he had created a soundproof barrier around the room just before he had started making out with that woman.

Again his heart was stabbed and he stumbled lightly. Something warm touched his clenched hand and as he looked down, Hope was gripping his hand. Soothing warmth washed through his body and he relaxed a little. His hand unclenched and gripped the energy that formed her hand.

Silently they walked through the dark, cold, misty village until he stopped at a bench next to a fountain and sat down. The girl sat down next to him and leaned into his side, providing him with warmth and comfort.

For a few moments they just sat like that, silently, as they enjoyed the peaceful night. At dawn he would confront Fuguki and kill him, the man who had betrayed him.

"Do you want to play our little question and answer game?" It was the first time Hope spoke since she had whispered his name.

He shrugged. "Sure." There wasn't anything else to do until sunrise anyway.

"What did you do with the posters and paintings we bought? I didn't see them in the room!" She stared at him accusingly, and her expression actually made him chuckle.

"I liked the plain walls more." The girl pouted. "Don't you have anywhere else to be?"

"Maybe, but I'm here now. I want to spend some time with you" she replied. "Do you eat fish?"

He gave her a funny look. "Of course I do."

"Isn't that cannibalism?"

"You are only allowed to ask one question" he reminded her and smirked when she pouted again. "Why did you come this time?"

"Because I felt that you are hurt. You feel betrayed, used, and lied to. I came to support and to comfort you. So, are you a cannibal then?"

He shook his head, still thinking over her words. "It's not really cannibalism if I eat wish. I would only be a cannibal if I'd eat sharks. But I don't do that." Suddenly, Hope started giggling before she broke out into laughter. Frowning, he looked at her.

"What now?"

"You…you…you just admitted that you're a shark!" Hope blurted out, gasping for air as she laughed hard, holding her stomach. He sighed.

"Well, I don't eat sharks or humans, so I am not a cannibal" he clarified with a grumble, but the corners of his lips twitched into an amused grin. He then turned thoughtful again though.

"Why didn't you appear to the woman? Why me?"

The laughter subsided slowly and Hope leaned into him, still gasping for air. "The woman didn't feel that emotionally like you did. She didn't regret her action. She didn't feel sorry, but was determined. She didn't need my help."

Her words stabbed through his heart again. The woman had lied and used him on full purpose. If Kisame wouldn't have woken up, he would be dead by now, tricked by a woman who made him believe she wanted something from him.

"Kisame?" Hope softly asked and her face appeared in his line of vision as he stared down in his lap, his hands clenched into fists, his teeth gritted. He forced his body to relax. He didn't want the little girl to see him in that state, full of anger and hatred. He almost had ripped apart a woman in front of her eyes and still felt ashamed and bad about it. He didn't want her to think of him as a monster as well. He didn't want to lose her.

Hope touched his arm and smiled up at him reassuringly. "Don't worry, Kisame, I will never leave you, no matter what you did or will do. If you need me, I'll be there."

His heart melted at that, but then he frowned. What if she was lying to him as well, just like the woman did? "I want you to promise me something, shorty." He ignored the glare she gave him at the nickname and looked directly into her blue eyes. "Promise me that you never had and never will lie to me."

Hope looked directly back into his eyes and she smiled softly. "I promise."

* * *

**As always, reviews are appreciated. In case any of my readers are still there... I hope the next chapter will be updated sooner than in a yer. Please don't be angry!**


	24. Itachi - I'm sorry

**Itachi - I'm sorry**

_Come undone, _

_Surrender is stronger, _

_I don't need to be the hero tonight. _

_We all want love, _

_We all want honor, _

_Nobody wants to pay the asked price (Undone – FFH)_

Standing at the entrance of the Uchiha compound, he let out a heavy sigh. He loosened and tightened the grip on his sword, staring up into the night sky with the full moon shining down on the peaceful village. It wouldn't last for too long as he was about to disrupt this peace.

He had met with the masked man shortly before and decided that the other man would make his way from the opposite end of the Uchiha compound until they'd meet in the middle. The reason why he wanted this area was because his parent's house was on this side.

Something warm touched his hand. He looked down to find Hope standing next to him, clutching his left hand that wasn't holding the still clean weapon. Her eyes were filled with pain and sadness.

"You shouldn't be here" he said softly. He didn't want her to see this, see what he was about to do.

"I won't leave you" she whispered and he was really glad about it, to have her as support so that he didn't need to go through this on his own. He took a deep breath, enjoyed for a moment the quiet cool night, the calm before the storm and then made his way to the first house. Of course the door was unlocked. They were sitting at a table, eating dinner.

"Hey Itachi, do you want-" He shut his ANBU colleague up by slashing through his throat. Red hot blood spilled all over the dinner. The woman opened her mouth to a scream but before a single sound could escape her lips he thrust the blade through her chest. His face was blank and rid of any emotion as he got to the next house.

They were preparing the dinner.

"Who is it?" the wife asked as she heard the door open and stepped into the hallway with a smile on her lips and an apron wrapped around her waist.

She froze when she saw the blood-stained sword in his hand. "Shiro!-" He silenced her by slashing through her body. Blood painted the white walls red. The two children were sitting at the table. They looked at him terrified. The older brother moved to stand in front of his sister in a protective way.

"Mummy" she whimpered. There was a painful stab in his heart before he killed them too. Hope stood in the doorway. Without a word she followed him to the next house.

An elderly couple. He was reading a book with his reading glasses on. She was knitting. They were dead in a second.

The next house.

The man, a shinobi, tried to hold him off. He knew him well. They had worked together a few times. After he slashed the man's chest he went after the wife who had run upstairs. He killed her in the doorway to a small room by slashing her back. He walked into the room only to see a crib standing in the center of the room. The walls were painted pink, stuffed animals were lying around; a mobile was hanging from the ceiling over the crib.

His stomach tightened in a sickening way as he made his way to the crib. The baby girl was awake and looked up at him with wide eyes before her toothless mouth turned into a smile. He hadn't known that they had a child. The baby girl gurgled happily and stretched her little hands out for him. His hand holding the sword was shaking. Blood dripped onto the fluffy white carpet. Why did destiny have to be so cruel? He couldn't kill a baby… But he had to…

"Close your eyes" Hops whispered next to him but he shook his head. He didn't want to close his eyes before killing the little girl. It was part of his redemption. Taking a shaky breath he lifted the sword. The baby stared at the blade which was covered with the dripping blood of her parents. Her lips started to quiver and her eyes watered. Before she was able to let out her first cry he pierced her little heart. The crib was immediately tainted with blood. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He felt Hope's warm touch on his back as she snuggled into his side. He was truly happy that she was with him.

"Let's continue" he said with an expressionless voice. Hope just nodded and they moved on, from house to house, killing men, women, children, civilians, and shinobi. He knew most of them. They were friends, colleagues, relatives…

A man walking down the street managed to set off the alarm before losing his life on his blade. The Uchiha shinobi came running outside, weapons in hands, but they had no idea who their enemy was. A group of three young men came rushing to him. "Itachi! Do you know what's going on here? Who's the enemy?" The boy's eyes widened, the kunai fell from his limp hand. Shocked, he looked down to the blade pierced through his chest.

"I am the enemy" he replied calmly. It was only thanks to years of hard training that he could look coldly into the youngster's wide eyes instead of crying and asking him to forgive him.

"It's Itachi! Itachi is attacking the clan!" He pulled his sword out of the corpse in order to block several shuriken they were throwing at him. Half dozen Uchiha warriors had surrounded him. Of course they didn't understand why he did this, but in their faces was only rage and anger as they attacked him. He killed them all and threw a shuriken into the throat of a man who was about to leave his house.

Three more houses… Everyone who came across his path was dead. Corpses littered the streets, blood painted the walls red, decorations were cut and shattered.

He hesitated before he was about to enter the next house but then crossed the little garden with determined steps before breaking the door down.

She was standing in the hallway, her battle gear on, about to move out.

"Itachi…" Her eyes showed the usual joy when she saw him, but her smile fell when she looked into his cold Sharingan eyes. "What's wrong…?" He lifted his hand holding the sword. She looked down and her beautiful eyes widened at the sight of the blood. She stumbled back.

"No…" She looked into his eyes again, almost pleadingly. "Tell me this isn't you. Tell me the alarm isn't ringing because of you." Itachi stepped closer to close the gap. He wanted to cup her cheek into his hand, wanted to caress her soft skin, wanted to run his fingers through the silky strands of black hair, wanted to kiss her lips.

"I'm sorry, Sara." Tears gathered in her eyes. This time, she didn't move back as Itachi stepped directly in front of her.

"Kiss me one more time, please" she whispered. Her body was relaxed, she wouldn't fight against him. Whether it was because she knew she wasn't able to win, or simply because she couldn't, he didn't know.

He felt like throwing up as he leaned closer and kissed her gently. She closed her eyes and he thrust the blade through her heart. He caught her body before it could crash on the floor. Gently he lied her down and brushed her black strands out of her face. She looked so peaceful…

He took a few shaky breaths, patched his broken mask back together.

"I'm sorry…" He kissed her forehead, before standing up abruptly and leaving the house.

"We are under attack!"

"It's Itachi Uchiha! He's attacking us!"

"Kill him at sight!" They came from all directions, but none of them could even hurt him. Weapons flews through the air, the screams of dying people rang in his ears, the once peaceful Uchiha compound was covered in blood.

* * *

Salty tears were running down his cheeks and dropped on the ground as he looked at the corpses of his beloved father and mother. His hands were still shaking violently as he repeated their last words inside his mind over and over again. They forgave him… It felt like a part of the heavy weight resting on his shoulders had been lifted off.

"I will take care of Sasuke, I promise" he whispered before straightening up. The tears stopped and his hands were calm and steady again.

He didn't look at Hope as he spoke up next: "Can you be at two places in the same time?" Through the corner of his eyes he saw her shaking her head.

He had to pull everything together to not lose his calm unreadable mask, to not burst out in tears at the sight of his dead parents lying in front of him. So instead he looked in front of him to the door of the room, the door his little brother would come through at any moment.

"I want you to leave me then. Instead, go to Sasuke and be by his side. He needs you now. Stay with him and be there for him since I can't. Just…" he struggled to find the right words, struggled to keep his voice from shaking.

"I know." Her quiet voice sounded so sad that actually _he_ wanted to comfort her. And then she was gone.

In the next moment the door creaked open and Sasuke appeared. And although Itachi could neither see nor sense Hope, he knew that she was there in this room.

Don't lose her my little brother, he thought while putting his cold mask back on. Don't lose Hope.

* * *

**Damn... In my opinion this was the saddest chapter I have written so far. I actually had to pull it together myself to not cry.**


	25. Kakashi - Date

**A big thank you to Inanari, Weirdnfreaky, and Guest for your reviews and for sticking to my story!**

**After the last, depressing, sad chapter, here comes a lighter one.**

**Do you still remember the Kakashi chapter where he met the girl at the tea shop and promised her to take her to the festival? Well, here is the continuation!**

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**Kakashi – Date**

_"__We accept the love we think we deserve" (Stephen Chbosky)_

"Are you sure?" he asked in doubt, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Of course! You look fantastic!" Hope replied from behind him. She was sitting on the bed in his flat, kicking her feet, while he mustered his reflection; the reflection that was dressed in a black yukata.

"I don't know..." he mumbled, still unsure. He didn't feel comfortable and wanted to dress back into his shinobi gear. Screw the dress code.

"No way! You stay like that!" she told him right away with a warning undertone. "You should put the mask down as well. Then you're perfect."

"Forget it", he replied firmly. "The mask stays." In the mirror he saw her rolling her eyes. Then she sighed.

"Fine, leave the mask on. It will only get in the way of kissing though..."

He looked at her coldly. "We only meet each other. There won't be any kissing included so don't get your hopes up."

Hope grumbled something and rolled her eyes ago before jumping off the bed. "Let's go then, you're already too late! You shouldn't let a woman wait at the first date."

"It's not a date!" he quickly said. "We just meet each other..."

"Yeah... That's called a date, you know. And now hurry up!"

He sighed. With one last sour gaze at his reflection he walked out of the room and followed the crowd to the festival which took place outside of Konoha. However, shortly before he reached the gates, he leaped into the trees.

"What are you doing?!" Hope yelled. "Don't you dare to get cold feet now!" He didn't answer her though and just gazed through the leaves to the entrance. It didn't take him long to spot her. He had to admit that she indeed looked beautiful. Mei was dressed in a red kimono with blue flower patterns imprinted on the silky fabric. She looked around, nervously playing with her fingers, slight worry shown on her face. She probably doubted if he would appear after all.

"What are you waiting for?" If Hope would have had a body, she would have kicked him out of his hiding.

Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the crowd and casually walked up to her, smiling. When Mei noticed him, she smiled brightly and her cheeks turned a light pink.

"I'm sorry I'm late, but a black cat crossed my way and I had to take a different road."

"Liar!"

"I'm glad you came" Mei said.

"Of course I did. A gentleman doesn't break his promise" he replied, still smiling, and offered her his arm. Blushing deeper she took it and together they entered the festival.

"Are you hungry?" he asked after they had crossed the first six food stands. Mei nodded.

"A little bit, yes. Are you?"

"Well I'm on a diet right now..."

"You just don't want her to see your face" Hope commented from the side lines. Why did she have to come along again...?

"Do you really think I'd miss you being on a date? Nah forget it. Also you need me. After all you're totally inexperienced in such kind of things and would probably screw up without me." He sighed.

"Is something wrong?" Mei asked him worried.

"No, no everything is fine." He smiled. "What would you like to eat?"

Mei looked around and pointed to a dango stand. "What about something sweet?"

"You mean something as sweet as you are?" She blushed as he walked her to the stand.

"I didn't think you could be that flirty. Good job, Kakashi!" He rolled his eyes behind his mask as he bought dango and gave it to Mei.

"Thank you, Kakashi!"

"You're welcome, Mei." They walked around. He won a giant teddy for her at the ring toss stand and she laughed as a boy splashed water on him at the duck game. Once they were through he guided her to his favorite spot on a hill and sat down in order to wait for the fireworks.

"It's really fun to be out with you, Kakashi. I know you're on a lot of missions, but do you think we could meet again once in a while?" Mei blushed as she asked him that.

"Say yes! Yes! YES!" Hope yelled in his hear.

"Well, I would love to."

"Really?" Mei's eyes sparkled as she hugged him tightly, her cheek rubbing against his yutaka.

They pulled away from each other though as the firework started. The people around them stared up with aaahs and ooohs but he only looked into her brown eyes, watch her glasses reflect the light and colors of the fireworks. Her eyes were wide, filled with happiness and joy. For a moment they reminded him of Rin's cheerful eyes when she, Obito and he were on the festival. Rin…

He was so lost in her eyes and his thoughts that he barely noticed Mei leaning closer, hesitantly. The background sounds turned lower and were only a dull, even Hope was quiet.

He stared at Mei's slightly parted lips as her fingers reached up to undo his mask. He gripped her hands though. Mei jumped slightly, blinking as she was brought back from her trance.

"Kakashi…" she said softly, blushing deeply. He sighed and turned his face away. Gone was the moment. Now he could clearly hear the fireworks, the cheers and laughs from the crowd… and his own loud heartbeat. He looked back at her. Mei was looking down at her hands which she had clenched in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. It wasn't in my place to try to…" She trailed off, blushing deeply. His eyes softened as he cupped her cheek in his hand.

"My apologies Mei, but I… I can't do this. The evening was very nice, and I greatly enjoyed it and your company. You are a sweet, nice, and honest woman. And believe me when I say that you do not deserve someone like me. You deserve someone better, someone who wouldn't make you unhappy. I am simply not fit to be in a relationship."

Mei looked into his eye and to his surprise she wasn't angry but only smiled softly, though a little sadly. "I understand, Kakashi. I enjoyed this evening with you as well. I don't know why you think I wouldn't deserve you because you are a gentleman, nice, handsome, and fun to hang around with. But if you are not ready, I understand. It's just… I hoped we could repeat this more often." Mei looked away but he placed a finger under her chin and made her look back at him.

"If you want to, I can come by the tea shop you're working in to see you whenever I'm not on missions." Her face brightened up right away and she nodded.

"Yes. I would love that."

"Then how about we stay friends?" he suggested and she nodded again.

"To be friends sounds nice." He looked back into the sky where the colors of the fireworks exploded. When she leaned her head against his shoulder, he wrapped an arm around her. Looking around he actually expected Hope to stand there with her hands placed on her hips, glaring at him, asking him why he rejected her. But she wasn't there anymore. She had left them to themselves.

He smiled. This was her biggest approval Hope could have given him.

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